The Courage of Nabby Adams in her Fight Against Breast Cancer
Nabby Adams was a distinguished woman and by the time she reached her 40’s, she seemed to have it all; a loving husband, three children, and a mom and dad whom she was very close to. Unfortunately, Nabby Adams would find a lump on her breast and receive the diagnosis that no woman ever wants to hear, “You have breast cancer.” Despite her fears, she fought for her life and underwent a radical mastectomy. Over the next two years, she endured extreme physical and emotional pain and by age 49, breast cancer had claimed her life (60).
Nabby was raised in a prominent family of politicians (53). Named Abigail or “Nabby” for short, she was a child that was surrounded in the world of political discussions and talks of freedom, foreign policy, and American Independence to name a few (53). Her mother was Abigail Adams, one of the country’s most prominent women in early America and her father John Adams became the second U.S. President (53). Her brother, John Quincy Adams, went on to become the sixth U.S. President. Nabby was very close to her family, especially her father (53).
At Seventeen years old, Nabby’s father took a job in England as an ambassador (53). While in England, Nabby met and fell in love with Colonel William Smith (53). They were married after a short courtship (54). The two moved back to the United States where they had three children (54).
It was in 1808 when Nabby noticed a dimple on her left breast (54). Nabby, in her 40’s, wondered what this dimple was, but assumed it was a sign that she was aging (52). She had no idea that beneath her skin, this dimple was actually the beginning of the cancer that would drastically shorten her life (53). Over the next year, the dimple transformed into a hard lump beneath the skin and as much as Nabby tried to ignore it, the lump continued to grow (54). She went to her local healers who were