Building bridges between breast cancer survivors

• Tammy Breymaier and her former student Brett Jump support each other as breast cancer survivors.

GRANVILLE — For 28 years, Tammy Breymaier has taught her students The Judds' song, "Love can Build a Bridge."

She taught Brett Jump the song when she was her sixth-grade language arts teacher at Granville Middle School. And she taught it to Brett's son, Davidson Jump, as his guidance counselor at Granville Intermediate.

So it seems fitting to both women that they still have a strong connection, forged not only through friendship, but shared experiences. Both women are breast cancer survivors. Breymaier is still in treatment, battling the disease.

"It's a unique perspective," Breymaier said. "I was guiding (Brett when she was a student) and now she's guiding me. And isn't that what we want as teachers?"

After her diagnosis, Breymaier became a member of a sisterhood that no one wants to be a part of. But talking to Jump and other local women has helped her stay positive and focused.

Now she's using her experiences to educate others, both in her role as a counselor and with other women who are just starting their breast cancer journeys.

"You have to climb the mountain," Breymaier said. "But you don't need to do it alone."

Not alone 

Breymaier, 54, never imagined she would have to worry about breast cancer.

She didn't have a family history, and was floored when doctors found a lump during a routine mammogram.

Diagnosed in March 2015, she had a lumpectomy in April and started chemotherapy over the summer.

She didn't tell many people at first, but it wasn't long before Breymaier and Jump started talking.

"She called me and said, 'I need to talk about this. I have breast cancer but I don't even know what (questions) to ask," Jump said.

Jump was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, at age 35. She had a double mastectomy, then went through chemo and radiation.

Although she's been cancer free for more than four years, she's active in Pelotonia, which raises money for the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.

She's one of the "go-to people," for women in Granville, if they find out they have breast cancer.

Jump shared her experiences with Breymaier and was able to connect her with resources. Although every case of breast cancer is different, it was comforting for Breymaier to hear how Jump dealt with the same scenarios she was experiencing.

"You are faced with so many choices and so many developments," Breymaier said. "So to have guidance from someone like Brett was a Godsend."

Paying it forward

Breymaier is proud to say she's finished with chemo and is getting ready to start radiation.

She said she's glad she decided to keep working through her treatment. The enthusiasm and support of her fellow staff members has helped her stay motivated.

Breymaier has also tried to use her diagnosis as a teachable moment for her students. She doesn't go into all the details of her cancer, but she's talked with the children about the importance of perspective and positive choices.

"I tell them, 'I'm cancer free,' and I made all the right choices to put myself on this path," Breymaier said. "I talk to them a lot about positive attitude."

Those are lessons Jump said she's tried to share with her son, and daughter Bella.

"It's the same thing I'm teaching them at home," she said, "Sometimes in life, you get dealt a bad hand. It's not about the problem, it's about how you are going to overcome it."

It's been helpful to Davidson to see Breymaier, and other women in Granville, battle cancer and support each other during treatment, Jump said.

"He can see, it didn't just happen to his mom," she said. "And it's something you can get through."

Although she still has six weeks of radiation, Breymaier is already reaching out to other local women. She's hopeful she can inspire others to get mammograms and talk to their doctors about early detection.

She's been keeping in touch with Stacy Heath, who recently started chemo, to let her know she's praying for her.

Now that things have come full circle, she's hoping to pay it forward and help others the way Jump and her friends helped her.

"You have to get through the valleys to see the mountain tops," she said "But if you try to navigate by yourself, it's a lot more difficult."

ajeffries@newarkadvocate.com

740-328-8544

Twitter: @amsjeffries