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Sign Up for FORCE NewslettersTribute in Memory of: Donna E Hicks
Posted July 12, 2021
Dedication
Donna courageously fought metastatic breast cancer caused by a BRCA2 mutation for nearly 4 years. Determined and positive, somehow, she managed to endure every twist this evil disease threw at her before it cruelly robbed her of her life. Sadly, Donna’s fight against cancer was preventable.
Because there is currently no effective way for doctors to be alerted to potential familial genetic mutation risks for cancer for their patients, it often falls to family members affected by BRCA mutations to spread the word. Unfortunately, family members too often fail at effectively communicating the seriousness of the risk and the urgency of getting tested to other family members.
It is my hope that any donations in Donna’s memory will help to find a way to better communicate information on genetic mutations that might cause cancer to potential carriers, their families, and their healthcare providers, so that nobody has to face the cruelty of a cancer battle that could have been prevented.
Personal Story
Donna was a National Board Certified Teacher, she worked for many years in the Washington Elementary School District in Phoenix, Arizona, where she taught third, fourth, and fifth grades at Mountain View and Lookout Mountain Elementary Schools. She was also a Peer Evaluator at Maricopa County Education Service Agency and a Practicum Supervisor at Northern Arizona University. An exceptionally talented educator, she always gave her best to each and every one of her students and made sure to see that every student had a chance to succeed. The positive impact she had on the lives of her students cannot be understated.
Donna also enjoyed traveling with her husband and daughter, kayaking, hiking, and just sitting and reading a good piece of literature while snuggling with her two cats.
She always will be remembered for her beautiful smile, endless energy, sweet personality, and her kind and generous spirit. The enormous void left behind in her husband’s, daughter’s, and friends’ lives, as well as the education community by her passing can never be filled.
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Make a donation to help improve the lives of individuals and families affected by hereditary cancer.
People who have donated to this tribute
Mark Hicks
Cullen Whitmire, Karla Gutierrez-Whitmire and Sidney Gutierrez-Whitmire
Natalie McWhorter
Michael & Iris Fox
Lisa & Tom Cambron
Micki & Dave Hillyard
Robin Crow
Susan LaValley
Donna Hicks
Chuck & Ginny Krauss
Alyssa Tattrie
Judy & Harley Eisner
Fred Guerriero
Bill and Raina Sinclair
Jennifer Buchanan
Rob & Sara Reimer
Mary Lou Micheaels
Jenni Gibbs
A. J. Hogg
Lori & Kurt Homan
Janet Marie Clements
Diane Lofthouse
Kerstin Strones
Chris Hood
Caitlin & Karen Johnson
Monica Rabb