As a triple-negative breast cancer survivor, Regina Evans now knows and loves God in a more profound way. Yet, in many cases, such a terrifying and grueling ordeal could easily shake someone's faith. But that's not the case in this inspiring overcomer story.
For Regina, who relied on God through her entire cancer journey, both the highs and lows only served to strengthen and forge an even more intimate relationship with her Creator. Now, she shares her incredible story to inspire and encourage others in their faith!
RELATED: Story of Cancer Survivor Goes Viral as She Tearfully Recalls Angel’s Act of Kindness at Mall
In mid-2023, Regina Evans of Virginia was preparing to go on a dream vacation to Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. Her husband had surprised her with the trip by giving her a cassette tape with the song "Two Tickets to Paradise" on it. When she opened it up, she found the itinerary for the trip.
Before they left on this epic anniversary trip, she went in for a mammogram. Two days before they left, she got a call from the doctor. "We'd really like you to come in and we want to take a closer look," they told her.
Regina wasn't new to this type of response after a mammogram. She had issues with fibroadenomas in the past, which are painless and benign breast tumors and was used to going back for a closer look.
"I went on my trip thinking everything was going to be fine," she told GodUpdates.
When returning to the United States, Regina Evans and her husband had a layover in Frankfurt, Germany. They had to go through security, and she considered delaying her appointment. However, when she went through security, she lit up their scanner. It was yellow on her right breast.
Although the doctors told her that shouldn't have happened, for Regina, it was a miracle from God—the first one of many that would appear during her cancer journey. "You know God got my attention because that's what made me keep the appointment," she said.
At that appointment, she found out that it was malignant. "There's no way. It's never malignant," she recalled. But it was, and they needed to biopsy it. That's when Regina found out she had Triple-negative breast cancer.
RELATED: Cancer Survivor Auditioned For The Voice And His Performance Was Unforgettable
According to the American Cancer Society, Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for about 10-15% of all breast cancers. It tends to be more common in women younger than 40, although Regina was 50. This type of cancer tends to grow and spread faster than other types of breast cancer, has fewer treatment options, and has a worse prognosis.
Regina goes on to say that the best chances of fighting this type of cancer are finding it early, getting it out, hammering it with chemotherapy and radiation, and hoping for the best.
Although the cancer had spread outside the tumor wall, it wasn't really large yet, so Regina had a good chance of fighting it. The cancer grows by 1% a day, so looking back, the two-week trip might not have been the best idea. Regina, however, was still glad she went.
After the diagnosis, Regina Evans would need surgery. She would also need an MRI before she could have the surgery. And as much as she felt this needed to be fast-tracked, she was told it could take a while. And that all cancer had priority, not just hers.
"I'm just like God; please let me get an opening for surgery early," she prayed. And the very next day, she got a call. There was an MRI appointment opening, so she took it. There was also an opening for surgery.
"God fast-tracked me," she said. "This was miracle #2."
During this time, it didn't quite compute that she could die from this. And at first, she wasn't going to tell anyone. Although her family knew and was praying for her, no one else knew to do so. That's when the verse, James 5:16, started going through her head.
RELATED: Legendary Actress Helps Save A Cancer Survivor’s Life
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
“I felt more and more that God wanted me to share it with people individually that I knew were Christian and that would really pray for me,” Regina recalled. And that was when she ran into a woman she knew from her old church, Patricia Bracey, a known prayer warrior.
Regina ran into Patricia at Aldi, and the two women caught up. Regina then asked if Patricia would pray for her. And she did, right there in the middle of the grocery store!
Later that same day, Regina went to her neighbor's house and told her what was happening. She also asked her to pray, and she did.
Both women had brought up oil, and its healing properties. When Regina went home she thought about that verse again, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” and wondered about its context in scripture so she looked up the chapter, James 5, and was startled to realize that it was about what to do when someone in the church was sick. And in James 5:14, it states, “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:”
As she read this verse, she realized none of this could be a coincidence. She then called her pastor to ask him about it.
Later, people from church came to her home, sat with her for an hour and a half, covered her with oil, and prayed for her. "It was very beautiful," she said.
Regina Evans had the surgery in July, where they removed the tumor, the tissue around the tumor, a couple of lymph nodes, and tissue samples in her chest wall. While waiting on the results, she asked God to show her what He wanted her to see in his word.
RELATED: Cheering Students Line the Halls for 6-Year-Old’s Return to School After Beating Cancer
That's when she started flipping through the Bible and landed on Genesis 8:4, "And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat." This had her reflecting on why the seventh month, on the seventeenth day, was so important to God.
Although Jesus’ calendar differed from Noah’s, Jesus rose again on the day Noah landed on Ararat’s mountains. Not only that, Regina realized that her surgery was in the seventh month on the seventeenth day as well. Noah had a new beginning that day, and Christ’s death and resurrection gave us a new beginning in him.
“Lord, this is amazing!” she said. “Are you telling me I have a new beginning?”
Up until this point, Regina had been worried about what would happen. She still had two daughters at home, ages 19 and 15. So when she felt that God was there, she felt such assurance. It was yet another miracle in her cancer journey.
Shortly after, she received her results from the surgery. No cancer cells were in the margins, lymph nodes, or tissue cells. Praise God!
Regina Evans was declared free of cancer! She was in remission! She would still need to do chemotherapy and radiation based on the type of cancer it was. After finishing chemo in December of last year and radiation in February, other than a little bit of neuropathy in her toes and feeling more tired than usual, she feels like she is doing pretty well.
"God healed me!" she exclaimed.
Before the cancer diagnosis, Regina had head knowledge that God loved her, but she always had doubts about whether he would forgive her. Although she was raised in the church, she didn't follow Jesus as she should have and was saved at a later age. Today, she has that heart knowledge and has grown closer to Jesus through it all. "I have such assurance now that I am saved. That I am loved!" she told GodUpdates.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Husband Pens Beautiful Tribute After Wife Inspires With Fighting Spirit And Faith In God
She doesn't worry about the cancer now or fear that it will come back. She doesn't worry about every little symptom, which is a huge blessing.
"I know that God's got it," she says. "I know that it will be his will and his plan, and that will be okay. I know where I am going."
Regina Evans encourages people to reach out to those who are sick. "I appreciated every overture that people gave to me...people were just so kind."
As far as what advice she would give to those who may have just received the cancer diagnosis themselves? "Lean on Jesus," she says. "Rely on him and just lean into him and trust him and call out to him. He's the comfort."
No matter how challenging life gets, God has a way of reminding us he is there, walking beside us, always by our side. As we can see from Regina's story as a triple-negative breast cancer survivor, keep praying and have faith that Jesus will be there with you every step of the way.
Featured Image Credit: Photos supplied by Regina Evans