Geist resident and breast cancer survivor, Julie Hollis, has a lot to look forward to this Spring! The small business owner (Julie’s Flowers at Geist) who handles custom flower arrangements for weddings, is now – planning a wedding of her own in June!
But for this single mom of two, her future didn’t always look so bright.
About a year ago, Julie was diagnosed with breast cancer after finding a lump during a self exam at the age of 38. “It was horrifying,” says Julie. “One minute you are feeling fine and the next minute, your whole world changes.” Julie’s neighbor, Chie Kramer, — who is now her fiancé — had known Julie for a short time and says the news was a life-changing experience.
“We went from living life, enjoying kids, arguing about normal things – to big changes…something really important arose.” That “important something” was Stage 3 cancer in the breast, and it had spread to other parts of her body. Suddenly, there were biopsies, surgeries, and chemotherapy. She lost her hair and spent days in bed. But Julie decided to stay strong and throw herself into her flower business to keep her mind off things.
Then, the outpouring of support surprised her. “People from all over came to help,” says Julie. “We handled about two dozen weddings during that time, which is just amazing!” says Julie who still gets a tear in her eye just talking about it. “They energized me and my kids. Thirteen-year-old Justin and 15-year-old Heather learned a life lesson of how people pull together in time of need.
Most of Julie’s cancer was surgically removed from her body, but, there’s no guarantee it won’t come back. Julie remains positive about the future and enjoys working with flowers as well as spending time with her family and pets – especially “Jules” – her fiancé’s golden lab who kept a constant vigil by her side when she was bedridden.
Julie served as the ambassador for the Susan G. Komen walk last month and says she continues talking to groups, encouraging women to watch for changes in their bodies and know their risk factors, because early detection is so important.
Today, Julie’s flower business is steadily growing as is her positive outlook for the future as a breast cancer survivor, one day at a time.
