For Kristin Scobey, the hardest part of having cancer was missing out on time with her family. The 41-year-old wife and mom was used to nights filled with hockey practice for her two boys and weekend adventures traveling for tournaments. During cancer treatment, it was hard for her 7- and 10-year-old sons to understand why mom couldn’t be there. Kristin held onto one thing: "I want as many days and as many hockey games as I can get.”
Choosing Roswell Park for breast cancer treatment
When she discovered a lump on her breast in January 2022, Kristin was terrified but determined. After all, she knew where she would turn — Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. As a young physical therapist in training, Kristin had a rotation learning at Roswell Park. Her grandfather was treated for cancer here 20 years ago. Her mother has been a faithful volunteer since 2010. She knew Roswell Park’s reputation, growing up in Western New York, and she already knew the quality of care the center would provide; comprehensive, compassionate care all in one place.
In this together
Kristin’s cancer felt “out of the blue,” she says She didn’t have a strong family history of cancer, there was no genetic component to contend with. Amidst her illness, it was sometimes challenging to be confident about a good outcome, but she held onto hope.
From the very first moment of her diagnosis, Kristin’s husband Chris reassured her, saying “It’s going to be OK, we’re in this together.” And they were. Kristin’s family, friends and community rallied around her. They got her boys to hockey practices and games; they kept her healthy during a tumultuous time for anyone with a compromised immune system; they made sure she had the love and emotional support she needed to keep on fighting.
Finding hope in familiar places
Sometimes, it’s the little things that help carry us through difficult times. Since her diagnosis, Kristin has worn the same pair of very special pink sneakers for every appointment at Roswell Park. Pink is a color that signifies breast cancer, but when she custom ordered the pair for her wedding years earlier — along with a surprise pair for Chris — it was just a color she loved. She thought of them when she found out she was sick and held onto the hope and blessings they signified for her throughout her treatment.
After six rounds of chemotherapy, surgery in August 2022, then radiation and immunotherapy treatments to follow, Kristin rang the Roswell Park Victory Bell to signify the end of her treatment on February 1, 2023.
On that joyful day, she was surrounded by family who had wholeheartedly supported her throughout her cancer journey. Kristin closed this chapter of her life with a full heart and, of course, her pink kicks. “I cannot say thank you enough to my medical team and everyone I’ve met at Roswell Park for saving my life and making sure I’m here with my family today,” Kristin says.
Why Roswell Park for breast cancer?
We provide multidisciplinary cancer care that integrates the expertise from several specialists, from diagnosis to survivorship, who focus exclusively on patients with breast cancer.
Learn moreEditor’s Note: Cancer patient outcomes and experiences may vary, even for those with the same type of cancer. An individual patient’s story should not be used as a prediction of how another patient will respond to treatment. Roswell Park is transparent about the survival rates of our patients as compared to national standards, and provides this information, when available, within the cancer type sections of this website.
