Faith Koliba, 24, from Clarksville, Tennessee was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 22. She holds up pictures taken by her mother of her first round of chemo therapy and a picture with her daughter, Georgia. “Not a lot of people my age get breast cancer. My survival rate was only 3-10% and I have a high reoccurrence rate and will be on hormonal chemo for the next 10 years, but God has helped me get through and I’m still here,” said Koliba.
As Koliba’s hair fell out during her treatments, she collected it so she could see how much she was losing at a time. “My hair was a big part of me, so I wanted to keep track of how much I lost,” said Koliba.
Koliba bought wigs to wear as her hair fell out and occasionally still wears them as her hair is still growing. “I still wear them sometimes to feel like myself again,” said Koliba.
Koliba shows off her scar from the port they had to insert to inject chemo. It’s a subcalvian port that allows chemo to go through a main vein in her heart because her other veins are too sensitive for the substance. When asked if her scars bother her, Koliba answered, “Honestly, they hurt, but they remind me of God’s promise and the strength he gave me to get through my diagnosis. So, yes they bother me in the sense of the physical pain and I do miss that part of me as a woman obviously, but at the same time ‘no’ because without them I wouldn’t be here.”
Koliba takes chemo pills called, Verzenio, to help keep cancer cells out of her body. “I don’t have to take treatments, but I still take the pills to help the cancer from coming back,” said Koliba.
Koliba lays still as the nurse injects goserelin into her stomach. Goserelin helps shuts down her ovaries to prevent them from releasing estrogen into her body. She was first numbed in the area, then when asked if she felt anything Koliba answered, “No.” After a couple weeks, Koliba says she’s still bruised from the injection.
Koliba started a business called ‘Faithfully Stitched’ to spread God’s word and help bring awareness to breast cancer. “I couldn’t have gotten through this without God,” said Koliba. Her business cards are filled with contact information and a Bible verse.
Koliba works on a Western Kentucky University sweatshirt for a customer. She stays pretty busy getting orders in from Webster County, Ky and Clarksville, Tn. After a few technical issues, Koliba was able to finish the product.
Koliba (right) and her daughter, Georgia (left) age 4, cook dinner together. “Austin (her husband) isn’t usually home for dinner; he works early mornings and late nights, so it’s just me and Georgia most of the day,” said Koliba while cooking dinner. Georgia wanted to help her mom, so Koliba lets her stir the meat for the tacos.
Koliba (left) and her daughter, Georgia (right) sit down for dinner and say grace. Georgia says the prayer, “Dear Lord, thank you for everything! Amen.”
(From left) Luke Harrell, Justin Haardcastle, Dylan Black, and Eric Black join in prayer at the end of the night after their bible study at Hardcastle’s house in Bowling Green, Ky on Thursday, April 17.
Justin Hardcastle reads John 17 out of the Bible to his teen Bible study group at his house in Bowling Green, Ky on Thursday, April 17.
Justin Hardcastle sings Behold the Lamb with his men’s Bible study group in Bowling Green, Ky on Tuesday, April 15.
Justin Hardcastle (left) and his wife Amber Hardcastle (right) stand to pray at Wednesday night service at Meadow Land Baptist Church in Bowling Green, Ky on April 16.
(From left) Luke Harrell and Dylan Black practice the song they’re singing at the Good Friday service at Justin Hardcastle’s (right) home in Bowling Green, Ky on Thursday, April 17.
Justin Hardcastle (left) teaches Luke Harrell (right) the chords on the guitar to Reckless Love while playing a game of pool with his teen Bible Study group at his house on Thursday, April 17.
Dale Spearman of Glasgow cuts a customer’s hair at Shake Rag Barbershop in Bowling Green on Friday, Feb. 28. Spearman said he has been cutting hair for 19 years, but has been at Shake Rag Barbershop for seven years.
From right: Chris Whitney, Dale Spearman, Franco Irvin and Tyrail Curry take a lunch break at Shake Rag Barbershop in Bowling Green on Friday, Feb. 28. They got their food from next door, at Shake Rag Bar & Lounge.
Monié Hudson, left, cuts a customer’s hair at Shake Rag Barbershop in Bowling Green on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
Tyrail Curry trims a customer’s beard at Shake Rag Barbershop in Bowling Green on Tuesday, Feb. 18. Curry is from Horse Cave, Ky. “You’ve come to the right place,” Curry said. “That’s [connection’s] what a barber shop is.”
Tyrail Curry, right, trims Chris Page’s facial hair at Shake Rag Barbershop in Bowling Green on Tuesday, Feb. 18. Curry and Page are from Horse Cave, Kentucky and Page is the owner of Shake Rag Barbershop. “I was with him when he opened it,” Curry said. “I’ve been here ever since.”
Blades of a hair cutter sits on Franco Irvin’s desk at Shake Rag Barbershop in Bowling Green on Friday, Feb 28.
Monié Hudson locks the door of Shake Rag Barbershop in Bowling Green on Wednesday, March 5.
