S5 Episode #26 - Kelly Kashmer
THE ONE WITH KELLY KASHMER
This week we are excited to welcome Kelly Kashmer to the podcast! Kelly is the founder and Executive Director of NothingPink, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase awareness of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers and provide personalized support for individuals at high risk. In this episode, Kelly shares about her fight with breast cancer and the way that God used it to reveal a unique mission. She reminds us that God will never leave you or forsake you, He can handle your anger, and He is the ultimate source of strength.
MORE ABOUT KELLY
Kelly Kashmer is the founder and Executive Director of NothingPink, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase awareness of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers and provide personalized support for individuals at high risk. Kelly formed the organization following a positive cancer diagnosis only two weeks after a BRCA2 positive result. After finishing chemotherapy and 11 surgeries, Kelly formed the 501(c)3 organization in order to make a difference in the lives of women in her community. From that moment forward, she has served as founder and Executive Director to increase awareness of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers and provide personalized support for individuals at high risk.
LISTEN
READ
Kelly shares that as she has walked with the Lord, He has continually refined her character and prepared her for what was coming down the road.
We have the personality that God has blessed us with, but as you walk in relationship with Him, God constantly is fine-tuning you and shaping you more into who you were created to be. The trials that we go through are bound to shape us in some way, and through God’s grace they will shape us more into His likeness.
Growing up, Kelly never felt like she had any outstanding gifts or talents. She never knew what her “thing” was supposed to be. She never felt like she had a strong purpose in one area.
When Kelly was in her early 30s, she was diagnosed with cancer and realized that her purpose was to help others who are walking through the same struggles that she has walked through.
THE DIAGNOSIS
Kelly was a stay-at-home mom, living her normal life, when she went in for her yearly OBGYN check-up. It was at this appointment where her doctor started inquiring about her family history. As she was speaking, she realized that she has a family history of cancer. She decided to do the BRCA genetic testing that same day.
Two weeks later, her doctor called to let her know that she has tested positive for the BRCA2 mutation. This meant that Kelly has an 86% chance of developing breast cancer and a 64% chance of developing ovarian cancer in her lifetime. Kelly still wasn’t very concerned because it seemed like it was still a long way down the road.
At the same time, she called her insurance company and learned that they did not actually cover the $5,000 genetic testing that she had just taken. In hindsight, Kelly knows that it was God’s protection that she didn’t realize the test wasn’t covered. She shared that at age 31 she would not have felt the test was actually necessary and would have pushed it down the road to save the money. BUT, God knew that she couldn’t wait 10 to 15 years to take this test.
Once Kelly tested positive for the mutation, she had to start doing routine testing to monitor her. After her first round of tests, the doctor called her and told her that she had stage 2 triple negative breast cancer. The only way that this was discovered was through the BRAC genetic testing– which she wouldn’t have taken if she had known that her insurance wouldn’t cover it.
After the news, Kelly and her husband sat in the doctor’s office and prayed together. From that moment on, Kelly knew that God would carry them through. It might not look the way that Kelly would have planned, but God knew every step of the way what He was doing.
THE NEW JOB
Kelly’s new job became fighting for her life. Every day was a struggle and a new road block.
“She is clothed with strength and dignity and laughs without fear of the future.”
-Proverbs 31:25
People always say, “God can only give you as much as you can handle.” But the reality is that it is only WITH God that we can handle anything. We must cling to God in the middle of the struggle.
God has a purpose in everything that He allows to happen. You may not see it any time soon, but God can use every part of your struggle for your good and His glory.
All throughout the Bible, God is constantly giving people more than they can handle so that they have to rely on Him. In those situations we see God show up in powerful ways.
DEALING WITH THE ANGER
Through her fight, Kelly felt a lot of anger about the things she was missing. She couldn’t pick her daughter up from the crib, or take her girls to the pumpkin patch, or go to car-line. She was so sick and in so much pain. She felt anger toward The Lord.
At one point, she had just received the news that she had to have a blood transfusion. She admitted to a friend how angry she was at God. Her friend said, “And what a testament to your relationship with Him that you can speak those words out loud to Him.”
This blew Kelly’s mind! The weight of the anger was gone. Even in her anger and sadness, God was still there with His arms wide open. God is not afraid of our anger and it will never drive Him away. He always loves, always pursues and always shows up.
NOTHING PINK
Kelly walked through the fire and came out the other side with the burning question of, “What can I do now?”
She remembers being in one of her chemo appointments and thinking, “There is nothing pink about breast cancer.”
This was her correlation to her girls who were in their “pink stage” of Barbies and princesses. That world was a place of joy, fun, and imagination. It was a safe and happy place, and there was “nothing pink” about what Kelly was going through with breast cancer.
Before being diagnosed, Kelly had no signs of breast cancer. It was ONLY through the genetic test that Kelly found out that she had cancer. She knew that her passion moving forward was to help people be more proactive in their screenings for cancer.
Kelly founded NothingPink, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase awareness of hereditary breast and ovarian cancers and provide personalized support for individuals at high risk.
God continues to open and close doors to take the next steps and move forward in sharing this important, life-changing information.
WHERE TO START
Know your family history of cancer. Have conversations with your family members about your risk.
This does affect women more than men, but for Kelly, the mutation came from her father’s side. There are a lot of misconceptions about breast cancer, so remember to look at both sides of your family history.
CHARACTER OF GOD
God is a God of grace and forgiveness.
When you think about the love you have for your own kids– you will always have open arms, no matter what they do. And God’s love for us is a billion times deeper than this.
Nothing you have done can separate you from the love of the Father. He is always there to take you back.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Getting a diagnosis is life-changing, but the diagnosis doesn’t define you. God’s love and provision is what defines you. He will never leave you and He is the first one cheering you on toward victory.
The only way to walk through any struggle is through the grace and strength of The Father. And when we don’t have the strength, HE does!
WATCH
Thank you, as always, for listening! Please remember that everything we do is funded by those who benefit from our ministry. Our ministry a 501(c)3, so your contribution is tax-deductible.
The Collected Podcast is sponsored in part by BeautyCounter. Use this special link to shop for all of your clean beauty needs and 10% of the profit will go directly back to benefitting The Collected Podcast! Also, use code CLEANFORALL20 for 20% off of your first purchase.
Our events are centered on worship, restorative creativity, and designated time for reflection, evaluation, and setting intentions.
We help you provide a safe environment for your community to practice low-stakes creative risk-taking that will spur them in their gifting + step further into their calling. Leaders will rise up, ministries and businesses will be born, and all will find a new connection with their true identity.
Imagine what a whole community of Believers who
know who they are in Christ + understand their purpose as Kingdom cultivators can do!
Email us at info@collectedministries.org to book your own Collected Workshop or Retreat today!
CHECK THIS OUT:
The Collected Podcast is a production of Collected Ministries, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping disciples of Jesus discover and live from their true identity in Christ, recognize and walk in their divine purpose within the Kingdom of God, and experience growth in their capacity for mature, healthy relationships.
Follow us!
Jes Biondo: @jesbiondo
Jes’ Hand Lettering: @sprezzafoundry
Charitable partner: @flourishkenya
The Collected Podcast is produced by Jes Biondo and edited by Jacob Early. Cover art designed by Ben Biondo.