Beyond Survival: Danielle Wiggins on Breast Cancer, Faith, and Learning to Live Again

Ohio TV journalist and breast cancer survivor Danielle Wiggins is approaching a significant milestone in her recovery. But as she reflects on her experience, she is learning that surviving cancer is not the end of the story. It’s the beginning of another journey, one that requires patience and grace.

When Danielle Wiggins turned 40, she had no reason to believe that her life was about to change in a way she could never have anticipated.

An anchor and reporter at an NBC affiliate in Northeast Ohio, USA, Danielle was building her career while raising two children with her husband of almost 16 years. She was accustomed to juggling responsibilities, meeting deadlines, and telling other people’s stories. But in November 2021, just a month after her 40th birthday, Danielle discovered a lump in her breast.

“At first, I didn’t think it was anything serious,” Danielle told The Weight She Carries. “I thought it was benign. I was 100% sure of that.”

At the time, she didn’t know of any history of breast cancer in her family, which easily explained her confidence.

Danielle had developed a habit of conducting breast self-examinations years earlier. While working as a producer for a regional National Public Radio affiliate in Ohio, she helped produce a lifestyle program hosted by a journalist who was a breast cancer survivor herself and frequently discussed breast cancer awareness.

One message that stayed with Danielle was the importance of becoming familiar with her own body.

Years later, that knowledge would prove invaluable.

After discovering the lump, Danielle asked her husband whether he could feel it and whether it had always been there. His response confirmed her concern.

“He said, ‘No, that was not there before.’ And I could see the look of concern and worry on his face.”

When the Story Becomes Personal

The recommendation Danielle was familiar with in the United States was to begin screening at 50. Her healthcare provider, however, encouraged action sooner.

“The hospital system that I go to for my medical care was sending me emails saying, ‘Hey, you’re 40. We want you to have your mammogram,’” she said. “Well, I am so thankful that they were really proactive about it.”

Danielle sought medical attention and underwent further screening. In February 2022, she received the diagnosis: breast cancer.

“It was a big shock,” she said.

For a woman who had spent years reporting on other people’s experiences, Danielle suddenly found herself navigating a story she had never expected to become her own.

Her diagnosis prompted her to examine not only her health but also her understanding of cancer within her family.

“Initially, I did not believe there was a family history of breast cancer,” she said. “But as I began researching and reporting on the disease, I discovered that one of my older cousins had also been diagnosed.”

Danielle also learned more about the broader connections between certain cancers, like breast and prostate cancer.

The discoveries were particularly significant because cancer had already affected several members of her immediate family. Her mother had colon cancer, her father had prostate cancer, and Danielle had breast cancer. Her brother was the only member of their immediate family who had not been diagnosed.

Faced with treatment options that included a lumpectomy, a single mastectomy, or a double mastectomy, Danielle chose to have both breasts removed.

“I was diagnosed at such a young age. I said, ‘I don’t even want to deal with it.’ It’s a very personal journey for people. Other people I know chose the lumpectomy because they didn’t want to lose their breasts, and I get it.”

For Danielle, the decision was about what felt right for her. Her experience also reinforced a message she now shares with others:

“Please, please don’t let fear stop you from getting the screenings,” she urged.

Her message is not that every person’s experience will have the same outcome, but that taking concerns seriously and seeking appropriate medical care can make a difference.

The Faith That Sustained Her

Although Danielle eventually learned that her cancer was at stage one, the period between discovering the lump and receiving definitive answers was emotionally taxing.

The uncertainty surrounding the diagnosis and the questions that filled her mind weighed heavily on her. Had the cancer spread? What stage was it? What would treatment involve?

There were no immediate answers to everything Danielle wanted to know.

“The [doctors] didn’t even know if I had the gene. They said, ‘We’ll learn more after the surgery.’ And granted, the surgery was a month-and-a-half out, so I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, how do I keep myself calm in that time?’”

The experience became an unexpected lesson in waiting.

“I felt like God used this because I was a very impatient person,” she said. “Going through this journey really taught me patience, and it really taught me how not to worry until you have something to worry about.”

Danielle didn’t discover her faith in the middle of the crisis. It was already central to her life. As a minister at her church in Ohio, she had an established relationship with God and a community of believers around her.

During that uncertain time, she leaned on that relationship. She prayed. Her church prayed for her. Danielle met regularly with her pastor, and members of the church’s prayer team continued to support her.

She held on to the biblical reminder that God has not given his children a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.

“Faith is how I got through it. My relationship with God is how I survived. To be honest with you, that is the core of who I am.”

The Grief That Can Follow Survival

While her faith gave her something to hold on to as she waited for answers, it didn’t mean that every part of the journey was easy.

Danielle had a career she loved and ambitions she was still pursuing. When she returned to work after treatment, she struggled with the feeling that cancer had interrupted her professional progress at a time when she had been working hard to advance.

“It was a whole other set of emotions. Like, man, cancer ruined my life.”

It was a difficult admission, particularly for someone whose public life involved reporting and connecting with people. But it reflected a reality that is often overlooked when people talk about illness and recovery. Even when treatment is successful, the experience can leave emotional wounds that take time to process.

Danielle is grateful to be alive. But she has also discovered that gratitude and grief can coexist.

There is a particular language society often uses when someone survives cancer. The person is celebrated as a fighter, a survivor, or an inspiration. Their recovery becomes a reason for gratitude and hope.

As she approaches the five-year milestone in her survivorship journey, she is still coming to terms with the physical and emotional effects of what she has endured.

“I put myself in counseling, and the counselor told me, ‘You know, Danielle, what it sounds like is that you’re grieving the woman you were before cancer.’ And I thought, ‘Yes, that is so true!’”

The realization gave language to feelings she had struggled to explain. She was not simply trying to recover from a medical diagnosis. She was also trying to understand how the experience had changed her, and how she wanted to live in its aftermath.

“I am in the process of just grieving what was before cancer, but yet trying to figure out how I want to show up now and how to enjoy each and every day.”

Her honesty offers an important reminder that survivorship is not always a clean break between illness and health. For some people, it is an ongoing process of adapting to a changed body, processing difficult emotions, and learning how to embrace life again.