June Mangini of Hampton said she was “a little surprised, but not  shocked” to learn a few years ago that she had breast cancer.

  Part of that, she said, is because it was not her first time battling cancer of some kind. She also fought colon cancer in 1984, and again in 1986.

  “So, my reaction was, ‘OK, what do I do now?” said Mangini. “I said, ‘OK, God, handle it for me, I give it to you.”

  Mangini is one of more than 400 people who were honored at Cancer Treatment Centers of America’s Celebrate Life gala in Newnan on June 5. The occasion recognized individuals who marked five years or more since beginning treatment at CTCA. Mangini and fellow survivors took part in a red-carpet sendoff before being honored in a nearby ceremony.

  Mangini, originally from England, will celebrate her 84th birthday on July 1. A retired realtor, she said her breast-cancer journey began with a mammogram in December of 2013. She went back for a second opinion the following month, at which time her diagnosis was confirmed.

  Mangini followed up her prayers with research of her own, which led her to contact CTCA. Although doctors there could not take her that time, she remained undaunted and underwent chemotherapy in Atlanta.

  “Fortunately, I was able to get into CTCA and continue my treatment there,” said Mangini. “I was so happy. Living by myself, I had to rely on people to drive me to my chemo appointments, and it was very difficult.”

  Because Mangini’s children live out of state and her neighbors worked, she called on friends from her church to ease the burden of transportation for her doctor appointments. How-ever, she said, CTCA soon came to the rescue for that as well.

  “When I started at CTCA, my worries about transportation were eliminated,” she said.

  Mangini went to downtown Atlanta for five rounds of chemo, then had her remaining rounds at CTCA before having surgery in June of 2014. She started radiation in September of that year, all the while maintaining the lawncare and housework for her home.

  “My attitude was positive,” said Mangini. “I didn’t say ‘woe is me, why did this happen?’ I did not feel sorry for myself. I accepted it and said, ‘OK we’ll deal with it.’ That was the way it was supposed to be.”

  Mangini wrapped up her chemotherapy in February of 2015. She reiterated that an upbeat outlook on the ordeal was an essential component  in helping her to overcome cancer.

  “The whole experience was not terrible,” said Mangini. “I decided that I was not going to let cancer beat me. God was with me the whole time, holding my hand. I think my one thought was, I will never have a bad day. I will have good days and not-so-good days. When my hair fell out, I said, ‘I will have no bad hair days for three months, and that’s the way it was.’

  “When I had surgery and they removed the cancer, it was gone,” Mangini continued. “It was not a part of me anymore. It just makes you more aware that if you ask and accept God’s help, it will be there for you.”

  Mangini and her husband, John, were married for 31 years until his passing 11 years ago and had four children. She said she is grateful for CTCA’s collective effort to care for patients, exemplified by the reception she and her fellow honorees received at the Celebrate Life event.

  “To me, very few hospitals take the time to show patients that they really do mean a lot to them,” she said. “Each patient is an individual, and CTCA showed that. The red carpet – I had never heard such a joyful noise. It was so overwhelmingly noisy. I had to put my hands over my ears. It was unbelievable. You get a warm feeling. You cannot describe it. You have to experience it in order to know what means.”

  Dr. Haritha Pabbathi is a medical oncologist at CTCA. She said the Celebrate Life event represents a high point in the year for patients, doctors and staff.

  “Emotions run high for the entire hospital team during this awesome celebration,” said Pabbathi. “Celebrate Life connects us to our purpose and to our patients and colleagues in an incredibly meaningful way.”

  Rather than singling out a particular doctor at CTCA, Mangini added that each doctor at the facility went to great lengths to ensure that she was well cared for  during her breast-cancer battle. That same sense of compassion, she said, extended to members of the support system at CTCA as well.

  “When I first started at CTCA, it felt like I was starting a family affair,” said Mangini. “When the doors opened, it was like I felt love hitting me smack in the face.

  There were always hugs and smiles. It made you feel whole, even though you were going through chemo and you were baldheaded.”

  Mangini described herself as a “strong person” who faces problems head-on. This philosophy, she said, proved essential in her fight against cancer.

  “When I face a problem or situation, I say ‘what do we do about it?’” she said. “I guess I’ve lived too long to be weak. I know God has held me all along.”

  Mangini emphasized the need for cancer patients – particularly those at CTCA – to take each day as it comes, and  to remain positive.

  “Each day is going to be a new day, and you approach it like that,” she said. “Regardless of how you felt yesterday, it doesn’t mean it will be the same way today. It will get better. You may have felt miserable yesterday, but there’s always a brighter tomorrow. People at CTCA are there for you and will help you.

  “Today is not yesterday. Something is working in your body that will make today better than yesterday,” Mangini continued. “Today is another day, and tomorrow is another day. Don’t look back on yesterday. Always look forward to tomorrow, because it will get better.”