She was fearless! Well, she said she used to be. As I re-write Tina Adams’ own words, I just have to laugh out loud. Her beautiful hubby (and I do mean beautiful) gifted her a trip to Nashville’s first SURVIVORville. From the moment I met her, I knew she was different and I knew she was special. There was a spark in her eyes that accompanied her infectious laugh and wide smile that captivated everyone in her path.
This month we celebrate all those who have fought gynecological cancer. Tina’s story is truly unique. I wanted the opportunity to share her amazing inspiration of being fearless. I have taken the liberty to also share her latest shenanigan’s to show everyone that cancer is literally part of a journey that sometimes we don’t know where it might lead. (Insert RV oh, about right…..here.) Take a read and let me take you on a journey with Tina. You’re gonna love this!
Tina Adams jumped off piers, photographed wild black bears, swam with wild manatees and flew an open-air biplane. She did not fear what others called dangerous ventures. She was crazy, never thinking once about death, until August 25, 2009 when she heard the words “You have cancer”.
At first, she was shocked and confused, then depressed and scared. I had never experienced this emotion before- this was fear. Fearing something that is inside your own body was a surreal experience. When I was faced with never holding her sweet husbands hand again or watching her two daughters laugh. At that point, she realized life was indeed precious and fragile.
Tina decided she was not going to let fear ruin her life. She decided to fight against all those killer cells. After a radical hysterectomy, five weeks of radiation and six months of chemotherapy, she was still fighting – this time, to find herself – at only 34 years of age.
Today, Tina Adams is cancer free and like most cancer survivors, throughout her journey, she continuously looked for a reason why this happened to her. She knew in her heart it was TRUTH when people stated things happened in life for NO reason.
So, she decided to MAKE a reason.
From her chemo chair, Tina started a non-profit organization called Walk of Women. She saw a need to raise awareness for gynecological cancers. Tina wanted women to be aware of changes in their bodies and feel comfortable to talk to someone about these changes. Early detection is key to all cancers. As of today, she has hosted four 7k fundraising walks which helped her “reason” and mission to raise awareness of GYN cancers and fund a program called Wellness of Women (WOW). The WOW program provided financial assistance for women that have been diagnosed with a GYN cancer. WOW has paid for medications, transportation, wigs, doctor’s appointments or anything else that will help make their cancer journey easier. They also hosted a monthly support group called Words of Wisdom for patients and survivors to inspire and empower one another. WOW helped them feel connected and encouraged during their journey. The reason she had cancer was to help other women fight during their battle to survivorship.
Then came absolute fearless…and a bit crazy. Can I get an “RV-Amen” anyone?
Keep reading…
In 2017, Tina, her husband and two daughters embarked on a journey. Not the average journey one thinks about with two elementary school daughters and a husband, but one of true boldness and bravery. They sold their house, everything in it, bought an RV, created a family blog and set out on a two year tour of the US. That’s a TWO-YEAR tour, friends!
Living in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, this idea was completely different from anything this family had ever done. After all, they had never before stepped foot in an RV, much less pack up everything they own and walk away! But, that’s Tina. That’s her as a survivor. And, that’s Tina “Fearless” Adams.
From Georgia to Cape Cod to Utah to California, this family traveled. They documented their journey and they created life-long memories together. They had their issues along the way (you can read more about that on their blog), but they never let anything get in their way of creating a journey many of us only hope one day we can create.
Ironically, September is gynecological cancer awareness month and this month also marks the end of their tour. Returning to the burbs of Atlanta and settling down into a new home and a completely new life, I can’t help but wonder what on earth this woman will come up with next. For some reason, I have a feeling this woman of adventure will find a “reason” to inspire.
Congrats Tina, Chris, Abby and Mackenzie. And, welcome home! I can’t wait to see where your family heads next. #SurvivorStrong #AdamsAmericanAdventure #RVTour
To read more on the Adams American Adventure and their US RV tour, visit https://adamsamericanadventure.com
