‘They gave me 18 months and I’m here 18 years later’: Triad woman shares her story as a Mesothelioma survivor
By Bethany Cates
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WXII) — Tamron Little said the number 18 means everything to her.
18 years of life she wasn’t promised, now celebrated with purpose and gratitude. Little said from the moment she heard the word ‘cancer,’ she made a promise to herself: I’m going to live.
“I’m just like wow, you know, they gave me 18 months and I’m here 18 years later,” said Little.
Tamron Little grew up in Winston-Salem, a Glenn High School Graduate. In 2007, just a few years into college and after her first pregnancy, her world changed when doctors discovered a tumor.
“I asked him, I was like do you think this could be cancer, he’s like no, you’re healthy you’re young, no it couldn’t be cancer, it was cancer,” said Little.
She calls it the C word, six letters that would change everything.
“Even though that was 18 years ago, I still remember, like, what he had on,” said Little. “They’re like, you remember that, yes I remember that because it’s like, once he said that everything just got kind of like foggy.”
Despite the diagnosis of Peritoneal Mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer, Tamron had one thought.
“The only thing that I could think about then is, ‘I got to get home to my son’,” said Little.
Little said shock went into denial, denial went into why me, and then why me went into, OK I’m already healed.
After searching for specialists across the country, a prayer request at her mom’s job led to a doctor right in her own backyard what is now Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
“You are my ram in the bush that I’ve been praying for, like you were in my own backyard,” said Little.
Dr. Edward Levine performed the 12-hour lifesaving surgery and to this day says Tamron’s story is one he will never forget.
“Here’s someone who took a tremendous negative and turned it into a positive, she is a strong outspoken advocate for patients who are suffering with this particular diagnosis,” said Dr. Levine.
Dr. Levine said Peritoneal Mesothelioma makes up 10-15% of all Mesothelioma Diagnoses, it is very rare and can be found in symptoms such as abdominal bloating, trouble eating, and swelling but he said there is no specific test for the cancer itself.
Today, Tamron is an author and advocate, proof that purpose can grow from pain and that no one is alone in their journey.
“Just shining my light you know, a light that was kind of dim 18 years ago and really using my voice and amplifying the narrative that you can thrive after cancer because I’m a living proof that you can,” said Little.
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