Cancer Queens
Meet the Queens
Robin Baggett
(Queen Victorious, u/s Lead, Swing)
When Robin was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 36 in 2002 and dealt with a recurrence in 2003, she was not aware of all of the support groups and other resources that were available to women dealing with breast cancer. Now she wants to offer help and hope to others going through their cancer journeys. Robin said, ” I am a survivor. I have a voice and I want to share my story and help educate others going through cancer. I want to unite with others to help fight for a cure!” Robin’s aunt and sister are both breast cancer survivors and her father and uncle both died of lung cancer. Robin and her husband, Lynn Baggett, have five children and three grandchildren.
Mattie Bates
(Queen Lady B, Scarecrow, Operator Soloist)
Mattie is an eleven and a half year breast cancer survivor. She retired from BellSouth after 34 years of service and now describes herself as “semi-retired.” She is the coordinator of Davidson County’s Witness Project, the first in Tennessee. The Witness Project® is a culturally sensitive breast and cervical cancer outreach effort presented by cancer survivors and lay health advisers to increase awareness, knowledge and access to screening and early detection among the African-American population in an effort to reduce cancer incidence and mortality. Mattie also devotes a great deal of her time to her church. She is married with a daughter and son. Mattie said, ”Since joining the Witness Project and the Cancer Queens, it has been an interesting journey and I feel that I have embarked on another career—sharing my story to let others know you can be a survivor if cancer is detected early. Being part of the Cancer Queens allows me to share that message.”
Sheila Bates
(Queen TBelle, Disco Queen, u/s Witch, Reporter Swing, Book and Lyrics)
Sheila lost both her husband (age 41) and father (age 47) to lung cancer. After their deaths, she felt called to change professions and honor their memories by making her life’s work supporting cancer survivors and co-survivors, advocating for increased cancer research funding and access to care, and spreading the positive message of cancer prevention and early detection. In her job as Manager of Community Outreach for the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, she is blessed to be able to do all three! Sheila has remarried and has three wonderful children—Rachel, Neal, and daughter-in-law, Rachel. Creating and performing in Cancer Queens has been a blessing both professionally and personally. The cancer prevention message closest to her heart is regular physical activity because it also helps her deal with her other health concerns–managing stress, high blood pressure and arthritis.
Nancy Brown
(Queen B, Receptionist, u/s Supreme)
As a freelance journalist, copywriter and marketing communications consultant specializing in healthcare, Nancy believes her insatiable curiosity and research expertise helped her navigate the many choices she faced when diagnosed with breast cancer eight years ago. That experience also taught her that women need to be their own healthcare advocates. “Actions speak louder than words, and being a Cancer Queen lets me show the world how strongly I believe in taking care of your own health by living a healthy lifestyle,” she said.
Nancy is the coordinator of the YMCA’s Maryland Farms and Cool Springs After Breast Cancer Outreach Programs. She also teaches fitness classes at the Bellevue, Tenn. YMCA, makes her husband and two children eat their fruits and veggies, and finds stress relief and a creative outlet by teaching the art of rubber stamping as a “Stampin’ Up! Independent Demonstrator.”
Cindy Chafin
(Queen Diva, London Paris Hyatt, Glinda)
Cindy has worked as a health educator since 1992 with a variety of organizations including Middle Tennessee State University, the Tennessee Department of Health, the March of Dimes, and several others. She provides some services through Community Health Collaboratives, LLC, which she founded in 2007. Cindy gets her “queenly inspiration” from her three kitties, Fiona, Bitty and Begonia, who are truly queens of the household. She shares these felines with her husband and two young children. Always looking for the “cutting edge” and creative ways to promote health education, Cindy believes that the “edutainment” concept embodied by the Cancer Queens is a unique and powerful way to share the important message of cancer prevention with the public. The cancer prevention message closest to her heart is the importance of physical activity and fitness, which changed her life when she took that first step into an exercise class in 11th grade.
Kathy Childress
(Queen Marina, Sound, Swing)
Kathy knows what she’s talking about when she touts the importance of following recommended cancer screening schedules. “My husband, Raleigh, is a two-time cancer survivor. If not for early detection, I feel his outcome would have been much different!”
The Childress’ have one son, Adam, who graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in Electronic Media Production. You will find Kathy, an administrative assistant for the Tennessee Comprehensive Cancer Program and avid Georgia Bulldog by marriage, spending weekends at Drakes Creek Marina on her family’s boat. The family pets include a two cats named Rosie and Ruby, a French bulldog puppy.
Cathy Goss
(Queen Kitty, Dorothy, JLo, Stop Supreme)
Cathy is a public health educator and a member of the Tennessee Cancer Coalition. According to Cathy, becoming a Cancer Queen was strictly by luck. When she moved to Nashville she was asked to meet with various groups working in cancer prevention. Cathy said, “At the first meeting, I was nervous because the women all seemed to be very close friends. They were exchanging gifts and hugging, But the group was so creative and inviting. I was sucked right in. The next thing I knew, I was Dorothy!” Cathy feels that the most important prevention message and challenge for her is that cancer is preventable. “There are so many easy things we can do for ourselves and our family to prevent the disease,” she said.
Jane Kennedy
(Queen Violet, Cowardly Lion, Reva McInfire)
Since starting a second career in Social Work seven years ago, many new doors have opened that Jane never imagined as possible. With a long career in oncology medical practice management, she longed to work once more in the cancer community and now serves as the Manager of Patient Advocacy at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. She serves as the Middle Tennessee regional co-chair of the Tennessee Cancer Coalition.
“Providing opportunities for cancer survivors to give back in meaningful ways is a real blessing and a constant reminder of the importance of cancer screening and prevention,” Jane said.
She joined the Cancer Queens to be part of a group that is creatively delivering a message about healthy living and to fulfill a childhood dream of being a dancer. She says that a surprising outcome and challenge has been incorporating these healthy habits (especially exercise) in her own life. In her spare time, Jane has a small antique business and is a partner in a vintage furniture and collectibles consignment store. She enjoys gardening and loves spending time with her two teenage grandsons.
Tonya Micah
(Queen Luci, Tin Woman, Stop Supreme, u/s Operator soloist)
In her role as Manager of Outreach for the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Tonya is involved in a host of health disparities-focused organizations and initiatives including the Tennessee Cancer Coalition, Nashville Tobacco Prevention Initiative, the Nashville Witness Project, National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer III, and the Meharry Community Networks Program. She also provides community cancer prevention and awareness education. She is the proud mother of two sons, Robert Alan and Elijah. She is very involved in many of the ministries at her church home, Corinthian Missionary Baptist Church.
” I joined Cancer Queens because it’s different and has provided the chance to stretch and discover new dimensions of myself while delivering life enhancing messages,” Tonya said. The cancer prevention message most dear to Tonya’s heart is tobacco prevention and control because of the impact of tobacco use on some of her family members.
Jennifer Murray
(Queen of Big Hair, u/s Glinda, Swing)
When she changed careers a few years ago, Jennifer learned just how many lives are touched by cancer—from the patients whose lives changed their life after diagnosis and treatment, to family and friends and the many healthcare workers involved in caring for them. While working as a cancer epidemiologist for the State of Tennessee, she realized the importance of sharing essential cancer prevention information at the community level. As a volunteer for the Cancer Queens, Jennifer enjoys participating in a more informal and entertaining way, as opposed to presenting “boring charts and graphs.” She is State Membership Chair for the Tennessee Cancer Coalition . Jennifer realized from her own cancer experience, that individuals must take charge of their own health.
“You know your body better than anyone, and if you think something’s not right, it’s up to you to express this to your physician. If I hadn’t done that, my pre-cancerous polyp would not have been found when it was,” Jennifer exclaimed.
She hopes that the many messages the Cancer Queens share will help other women realize this, so that they too can take charge of their health! On a lighter note, as Queen of Big Hair, Jennifer enjoys helping the other Queens create their outrageous hairstyles and make-up.
Trudy Stein-Hart
(Queen of Harts, Reporter, Wicked Witch, Stop Supreme)
Trudy has been a prima donna since the age of five when she made her dance debut as the teapot in “I’m a Little Teapot, Short and Stout.” Having professionally taught water aerobics since 1995, most of Trudy’s singing and dancing was well-chlorinated prior to her Cancer Queens performances. Her day job is being an Epidemiologist in the Tennessee Tuberculosis Epidemiology Studies Consortium. Prior to taking this position in July 2009, Trudy was the Program Manager for the Tennessee Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition. She and her husband, John (also known as “Raul the Pool Boy”), live in Clarksville. They have two adult children, one musically talented daughter-in-law, one brilliant and adorable grandson and a very, very beautiful cat.
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