Deborah Long is still a little uncomfortable with the idea of pageants. She even admits that she’s still learning the proper “pageant walk.”
However, after winning the title of Mrs. Buford – in her first ever pageant competition – she obviously has a knack for it. And the main reason that she’s happy to get out of her comfort zone, and walk that walk, is that being Mrs. Buford, and competing next year for the title of Mrs. Georgia, allows her to raise awareness of something that is near and dear to her heart: Breast cancer awareness.
Deborah is a breast cancer survivor – eight years cancer free this year – and just about everything she does on that stage, as well with her business, is geared toward helping other women to understand breast cancer and how to approach it.
“I want women to know how breast cancer can creep up on you if you are not aware. I also want women to understand that they must advocate for themselves, if I hadn’t, I might not have discovered that I had cancer until it was almost too late,” Deborah said.
Deborah, a patient of Longstreet Clinic Obstetrics & Gynecology specialist Dr. Keshma Saujani, FACOG, had no idea what was in store when she received her diagnosis in December of 2015. But since that day, her life has been a whirlwind of both good and bad, much of which has revolved around her battle with and victory over breast cancer.
“I originally found a pea-sized lump on my own and didn’t think much about it. But within eight or nine months it had grown to silver dollar size.”
Deborah was diagnosed with stage 2, grade 3 HER2-positive breast cancer, which necessitated a double mastectomy and chemotherapy. It was a tough fight, yet she married her now-husband, Stephen, just weeks after her final surgery in the fall of 2016.
Since then, much of her life has been directed toward helping those who still face the disease. For instance, she owns a medical spa – Arabella Aesthetics, located in Buford – through which she routinely assists patients in need, as well as donates to nonprofits, including to the Georgia Alliance for Breast Cancer. She’s also interested in starting her own nonprofit, one that would match current breast cancer patients with breast cancer survivors, resulting in support and wisdom to the current patient.
“Deborah is such an inspiring person and patient. She is not just an advocate for her own health but has turned her experience into something positive – a way to help other women understand the importance of breast awareness and early detection,” Dr. Saujani said. “I’m fortunate to have played a part in her journey.”
And when she competes for Mrs. Georgia, you can guarantee that breast cancer awareness will be a big part of her platform.
“It’s a big deal for me, and I received a lot of positive support during my situation. I want to pay that forward,” Deborah said.
