Lexington woman’s wedding turns into celebration of awareness

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) -This year 288,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer.

In the month of October WKYT has been shining a light on survivors, their stories, on the awareness of the disease and on hope.

WKYT’s Amber Philpott recently sat down with a Lexington woman who was in the middle of planning the best day of her life, when she got the worst news of her life.

In this Link to Hope, how her family turned her wedding into a celebration of love and awareness for others.

Carma and Steven Potts are newlyweds, their recent wedding captured in timeless photos of those special moments of the day.

Their love story is one that took some time to evolve.

“So we have known each other for 19 years, almost 20 years and have been part of each other’s lives for pretty much that whole time,” said Carma Potts.

But, two years ago, Steven and his daughters entered Carma’s life fulltime.

Together they have been building something special.

“It was a surprise and the girls knew, so he actually proposed to me in the barn that we got married at,” said Potts.

In the middle of planning that wedding is when something unexpected threatened their happiness.

“He actually noticed some changes and was like I feel like there is something different and then I did a self-exam and had felt a pebble,” said Potts.

It was 10 weeks before the big day and doctors told 42-year-old Carma she had stage one breast cancer.

The news was overwhelming for them as a couple.

“It’s shocking, but then you just kind of figure out a way to motivate yourself to figure out how you are going to beat it,” said Steven Potts.

Carma, who likes order found cancer doesn’t always fit within a timeline.

Her doctors told her she would need surgery to remove her affected breast and then chemo.

First though, nothing was going to stop her from marrying the man she waited her life for.

Her fairytale day came with a surprise. “It wasn’t until our first look that I realized that he had a breast cancer ribbon on and I lost it,” said Potts.

It was a simple nod to her diagnosis, and it wasn’t just Steven.

“Then after we did the first look, and we did a few photos I started noticing other people had ribbons and I was like wait a minute where did all these ribbons come from. They had secretly planned for that to be a part of our wedding,” said Potts.

Those pins, an acknowledgment of the support Carma would have going forward.

“I’m super glad she is not alone, I can’t imagine someone trying to fight this battle alone,” said Steven Potts.

And now she doesn’t have too.

In sickness and in health, Carma Potts has gained not only a new last name, but added support for a journey that she and Steven will now take on together, focused on their future.

“Hopefully by spring we will be finished, so yeah there will be a lot to celebrate when we come around to the first anniversary,” said Potts.

Carma has since had surgery and is doing well and she will then begin chemo.

Carma says she wants women to know their bodies. She experienced dimpling on her breast and said she should have asked her doctor about it.

She encourages all women, if something does not look or feel right speak up.

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