Why this two-time cancer survivor believes in giving back to local health care

Julie Chenoweth has a cheerful, easygoing way about her. You’d never guess how much she’s been through: breast cancer, thyroid surgery, a hip replacement, knee replacements, pancreatitis and a second breast cancer.

She’s a survivor, thanks in part to the excellent care she received at Elkhart General Hospital.

Julie was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer in her left breast back in 2000, and she beat it. In 2020, she faced another battle when she was diagnosed with cancer in her left breast. After healing from a lumpectomy, she began going to Elkhart General Hospital for chemotherapy treatments.

The quality of care left a strong impression from her very first visit to the infusion center.

“Every step of the way, they told me what they were giving me and what to expect,” Julie says. “They made sure I understood everything.”

She went back one a week for three months, then every third week for another nine months. “They were all very, very nice,” she says of the infusion center staff. “They weren’t just treating the cancer. We got to know each other.”

She adds, “There’s nothing that’s not serious about chemotherapy. They certainly know how scared you are the first time. But they’re willing to laugh with you. They try to connect with their patients… I never felt like I was in this alone. We never felt like my husband, David, was in this alone.”

Julie and David, who live in Three Rivers, were thrilled back in 2021 when they learned their local hospital would be joining Beacon Health System. Today, they are loyal donors to the Beacon Health Foundation, helping to support health system programs that are powered by philanthropy.

She says they donate partly because of their experiences with her cancer treatment, but also because they simply believe in giving back to the community. “I think people don’t realize how important is it to give,” Julie says. “You don’t have to give a lot for it to be important.”