Terri Penn - continues to fight with determination and hope

Terri Penn first noticed a lump on her thigh that seemed to appear suddenly. Terri mentioned the lump on her thigh to a friend, who suggested it might be a fatty tissue deposit known as a lipoma. Still, Terri felt uneasy. Trusting her instincts, she scheduled an appointment with a physician within a week of first noticing the lump. Terri was diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma in March 2025.

When Terri received her diagnosis, she was terrified. The news came after four years of rebuilding her life, getting clean and sober following the devastating loss of her life partner of many years. She had worked hard to reclaim her health and her future, and the diagnosis felt overwhelming.

After surgery, Terri endured three additional infections during her recovery. When she was finally able to ring the bell, it felt like a hard-earned victory. But just two weeks later, she received another phone call, one that filled her with dread. The doctors would not discuss the results over the phone, and Terri knew what that silence likely meant.

At her follow-up appointment, Terri learned that her sarcoma had metastasized to her lungs. She is currently undergoing treatment, including radiation in two spots, in hopes of reducing the spots in her lungs. They’re keeping an eye on two more with further hope of them not increasing or needing further radiation.

After everything she has already overcome, Terri says this diagnosis is terrifying. She is honest about her fear; she does not want to die. And so, she

, holding on to the goal of ringing that bell once again.