Breast cancer survivor organizes free mammograms for Hill Co. residents.

HILLSBOROUGH, Texas (KXXV) – “We were all diagnosed through mammograms,” said Sheri Mathis, two-time breast cancer survivor and president of Mammogram Poster Girls.

Sheri and her two sisters learned they had breast cancer thanks to early detection. Mathis, a two-time breast cancer survivor, told me she realized something while she was waiting for her mammogram.

“There were so many women there who didn’t get their annual mammogram because it wasn’t covered by insurance at that point,” Mathis said.

So she made it her mission to put an end to it. She started raising money for women to get free mammograms. Her drive and efforts connected her to the Hill County.

Dr. Jeremiah Seely of Hill Regional Hospital said Mathis’ Mammography Poster Girls program offered free mammograms last year, which may have saved someone’s life.

“We did have some abnormal mammograms, and then by working with the medical clinic, we were able to coordinate those patients with specialists for follow-up with other imaging and biopsies if needed,” said Dr. Jeremiah Seeley.

Posters Girls is partnering with Hill Regional Hospital again this year to offer free mammograms. To make all this possible, Posters Girls received a grant of over $13,000 from the Make All the Difference Foundation.

“If you don’t catch it early, it’s going to have a chance to grow, and it’s going to have a chance to grow beyond the chest,” Mathis said.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 310,720 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in 2024.

“Unfortunately, cancer sometimes doesn’t care how old you are. We have seen breast cancer in women even before the age of 40, when current recommendations suggest screening,” Dr. Seely said.

Dr. Seeley also suggests women get home screenings and annual mammograms. Mathis agrees.

“I’m living proof of why you need to do this. I might not be here if I didn’t get the screening mammogram, if my sisters didn’t get the screening mammogram,” Mathis said.

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