MILWAUKEE — With a laugh that can instantly brighten up anyone's day, Gerry Howze radiates love and positivity to everyone she meets. But behind all the smiles, you'd never know that Gerry is fighting for her life.
"I got the stage four diagnosis this past fall," said Howze.
Three years ago she went to the doctor to be seen for what she thought was just back pain. Instead, Gerry was told she had an extremely rare cancer the size of a volleyball that had spread to her uterus.
"My oncologist said that it is incurable."
Recently, she chose to step down as the executive director of Pearls for Teen Girls, a non-profit that she's been a part of for nearly 30 years, advocating for and helping young women throughout the area realize their true potential.
"I love pearls because I got to be inspired regularly by young women who should have been statistics," said Howze. "But are now doctors and dentists and pharmacists."
And in true Gerry style, she's refused to let her diagnosis define her.
She's since launched a GoFundMe where the community that she's supported for years is now supporting her.
"None of it is unappreciated. It literally has been healing and so influential," said Howze. "I believe that this cancer has come at a point to teach me how to love on a broader level. Myself and the world around me."
If you'd like to help support Gerry's journey click here.
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