Oaks Survivors Parade marks culmination of a year-long journey for 1 woman

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - Oaks is special for one Louisville woman. 

She got engaged on Oaks day 17 years ago. This Oaks Day, she’s celebrating alongside other women who are warriors just like her.

Kelly Schweickhardt is going to be one the 150 women who will be walking in this year’s Survivors Parade on Oaks day. A year ago, she found out she had breast cancer.

“I had a false sense of security,” Schweickhardt said. “I was 45 getting my routine mammogram.”

Schweickhardt was regular with her mammograms ever since the age of 40. She had no issues at all. No family history of breast cancer. She has an active busy life being a wife, a mother, and a nurse at Norton Children’s. She was naturally a caretaker and a list maker.

“I used to be the type of person who wanted to control everything,” Schweickhardt said.

However, Schweickhardt found herself in a situation she couldn’t control. Last year, she took a look at her mammogram results via her mychart account and knew the news wasn’t good.

“I saw a two paragraph description, I knew,” Schweickhardt said.

She had invasive ductul carcinoma, a very aggressive form of breast cancer that developed in just a year. Before she knew it, her cancer journey started: fast and furious.  

On Oaks day last year, when all the women were walking the Survivors parade, Schweickhardt was on an operating table having a bilateral mastectomy.

“Were you ever scared,” Anchor Maira Ansari asked.

“Yes, natural to be scared,” Schweickhardt responded.

She eventually also had her ovaries removed and underwent chemotherapy and radiation, lost her hair.  Whenever she could be on her feet, she was working through it all.

“I kinda pushed through it,” Schweickhardt said. “Embraced the suck. Knew it was temporary.”

Her family, friends, and coworkers supported her. Sending her photos and videos while she was getting chemo.

“People who work in hospitals are compassionate for a living, I was just surrounded by the best cheerleaders,” she said.

Schweickhardt is now cancer free.

“I’m doing great, I’m being put back together,” she said. “I’m getting my energy back my hair is growing back. Thing are going really well.”

She’s celebrating her year journey by walking among 150 women in this year’s Survivors parade.

“Cancer took away a lot but, what it’s given me is way more,” Schweickhardt said. “For it to be my one year anniversary, I mean and what’s a better way to celebrate that. I can’t top it.”

Schweickhardt’s Doctor Blakely Kute wants to stress to all women how important regular mammograms are.

For more information on breast cancer resources click here.

For more information on this year’s Survivor’s parade click here.

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