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BRG Survivor Story 2- Alfredia Turner 2
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BATON ROUGE- In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, WBRZ is sharing stories of survival, including that of Alfredia Turner, a dedicated healthcare professional at Baton Rouge General. For over 20 years, Alfredia has helped patients navigate their care plans. In 2019, she had to reverse roles and become the patient herself after a shocking breast cancer diagnosis.
Turner was diligent about her health, including performing monthly breast self-exams on the 25th of every month. She had even had a mammogram less than a year prior. Yet, in April 2019, she felt something new.
"Actually, I was taking my bra off and when I turned it around there was a knot," she recalled. "And so I was like what is that?"
The news was devastating. It was stage 4 triple negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms.
"I couldn't believe it because I was one of the people that always reminded people about checking their breasts and getting their mammograms, and I thought I was doing everything right," she said.
After chemotherapy, Alfredia was declared cancer-free. However, genetic testing revealed she had Lynch Syndrome, a condition that significantly increases the risk of certain cancers. To minimize her future risk of recurrence, she made the choice to have a double mastectomy.
"I don't have true breast tissue now, so it can't come back in my breasts," she explained.
She credits her survival to her faith, family, and support of her Baton Rouge General medical team, who "just always made me feel like it's going to be OK."
Alfredia's husband of 28 years, Jeffrey, gave her the powerful words she needed one day when she felt too depleted to face another treatment: "He said, 'OK girl, I'm not playin' with you. You shall live and not die and declare the words of the Lord.'"
In 2023, she and Jeffrey started The Grace House Church. "I believe that God healed me. I truly believe that if it was not for my faith I would not be here today," she affirmed. "When it came down to it, Dr. Juneja- I believe that God used her and her treatment plan. He gave her the treatment plan for me."
Her son, Blake, was one of her biggest cheerleaders. The greatest difficulty of her treatment wasn't the medical side, but the emotional struggle of seeing her son ready to start college.
"He was talking about not going because he didn't want to leave me," Alfredia said. "I told him God has me."
Recently, she and her son both graduated. Blake earned a degree in communications, and Alfredia earned her Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Development.
Today, Alfredia lives by two new mantras: self-care is good, not selfish and make good memories. Living by the latter, she recently went rock climbing and camping in Arizona-something she had never done before.
She is now back at her job at Baton Rouge General, helping patients navigate their healthcare plans once again, but with an entirely new perspective. She returns to her role through the eyes and mind of a breast cancer survivor.
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