Local nonprofit provides essential support to breast cancer patients

For Emily Goudy, the fight against breast cancer is personal.

In 2010, her sister’s childhood friend, Candice, was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer at the age of 28. Emily Goudy and her husband, Steve Goudy, decided to help their friend and people like her by creating the nonprofit Taking A Shot At Breast Cancer.

Partnering with the Community Foundation of St. Clair County to establish a fund in 2014, the nonprofit funds breast cancer screenings, treatment, and life needs for low-income, uninsured, and underinsured St. Clair County residents. 

Breast cancer patients can apply for funds through St. Clair County hospitals (McLaren, Lake Huron, and Ascension River District) to cover anything they might need during treatment, including assistance with medical bills, medical equipment, specialized bras, wigs, rent, mortgage payments, childcare, utilities, groceries, gas, and other transportation expenses. The nonprofit has also donated to local hospital foundations to purchase medical equipment for their patients. 

“It’s important to support the patients in our community and let them know that they have a support system,” Emily Goudy says. “I want them to know that we’re here for them, and we’re here to support them as they embark on this journey.”

They started by selling calendars and raised a couple of thousand dollars in the first two years in operation to be donated to local hospitals. Over the years, the nonprofit steadily added new fundraising events, generating tens of thousands of dollars per year to help breast cancer patients. 

The nonprofit has hosted a 5K Run and 2 Mile Walk, a Pink Tie Gala, a Human Ribbon event, and a benefit with local first responders. Their next event is Pink the Rink at the Port Huron Prowlers game on March 21, 2026. A portion of ticket sales and the auction from the Prowler’s custom jerseys will go to Taking A Shot At Breast Cancer’s mission.

The Goudy’s friend, Candice, lost her battle with breast cancer four years after her diagnosis, passing on the eve of the nonprofit’s Human Ribbon event. Since then, the Goudys have lost a couple more friends to breast cancer, both of whom were diagnosed under the age of 35. 

“Watching what some of these people have had to go through, it just breaks my heart,” Emily Goudy says. “And anything I can do to help, I want to be able to try and do.”

One Board Member’s Battle with Breast Cancer

Taking A Shot at Breast Cancer Board Vice President Lucie DeLine joined the nonprofit after her own battle with breast cancer. While she is now cancer-free, DeLine was diagnosed at the age of 69.

“In that moment, it was like ‘Why me?” DeLine says. “I walked out kind of confused, thinking, so now what? What do I do? I have cancer in my body. I got to get rid of this cancer, and I want to do it now.”

DeLine underwent a couple of surgeries and radiation to achieve remission. She was retired, and they have comprehensive health insurance, so DeLine says they didn’t feel a financial burden. But she spent many hours and gas money driving to Troy for her treatments. She had to go to radiation six days a week for 30 days in Port Huron, restructuring her life around her treatment. 

Cancer treatment requires a lot of time and direct or indirect expenses. For people with young children who need to hire childcare, or who are working and need to take time off, treatment can prove an overwhelming financial burden, DeLine says. 

Taking A Shot could not operate without its community partners, such as Hunter Hospitality House. The nonprofit provides free lodging, transportation, and food to patients and their loved ones who are receiving treatment at St. Clair County hospitals. 

Hunter House has received about $9,500 from taking a shot in the last couple of years to house breast cancer patients receiving treatment, says Executive Director Tracy Willard. 

“(Breast cancer patients) could have weeks and months left of treating their cancer, they’re missing work, and all that is a financial stress and burden,” Willard says. “We try to keep them close to their treatment center so that’s one less thing they have to worry about, is getting back and forth for treatments.”

In 2023, Taking a Shot gifted $10,000 to Ascension River District Hospital. The hospital combined the donation with another grant and purchased four new infusion chairs. 

How You Can Access Mammograms and Women’s Health Screenings

Regular mammograms and screenings with a healthcare provider are key to early detection, which usually provides better options for treatment and better survival rates, says St. Clair County Health Department (SCCHD) Public Information Officer Alyse Nichols. Women should consult with their doctor to assess their family history and create a plan for regular screenings. 

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancers. It accounts for about 30% of all new female cancers each year. It is also the second-leading cause of cancer death in women, although death rates have been steadily decreasing since 1989 due to better detection and treatment, according to the American Cancer Society. 

Several services are available for eligible St. Clair County residents:

• SCCHD offers Pap smears and clinical breast exams in addition to STI screenings for established family planning clients. Services are available to both insured and uninsured individuals.
• Community First Health Centers, a local Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), provides women’s wellness care, including regular checkups, Pap smears, and breast exams.
• The Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Navigation Program (BC3NP) helps low-income women access free or low-cost breast and cervical cancer screenings, as well as follow-up care if needed.