Keynote speaker turns to hope in cancer fight
A cancer diagnosis does not put life on hold.
When Debbie Wells learned she had breast cancer, she was in the throes of work, a family wedding, managing her household and myriad other responsibilities that go along with life.
“A diagnosis doesn’t bring every other area of your life to a halt for you or anyone around you,” she said.
Wells shared her powerful story at this year’s Perennial Ball, an annual fundraiser that benefits Powers Health Cancer Research Foundation.
“Debbie has been a light throughout her journey,” said Nicole Surratt, an oncology breast nurse navigator with Powers Health. “She is such a positive ray of light. She inspires others.”
Wells was motivated by hope.
“Hope is one of those words that can feel very fragile,” she said. “Like we are crossing our fingers, squeezing our eyes shut, blowing out a candle on a birthday cake, hoping for a good outcome. That’s not the kind of hope that could have held onto me and my family last year as we went through four grueling months of chemo, then an extensive surgery, then 10 rounds of radiation. No crossing of my fingers was going to pull us through that.”
She found hope in four places: faith in Jesus Christ; a supportive husband and family; extended family and church family; and her medical team.
“We don’t take for granted that we live in an area that has such world class medical care,” she said. “From the Northwest Cancer Centers, to my wonderful nurse navigator Nicole who was with me from Day 1, to my amazing radiologist, Dr. Mary Nicholson, to my wonderful oncologist, Dr. Mohamad Kassar, to the nursing staff … everyone.”
Wells, who is a married mother of three, was shocked when she was diagnosed with Stage 2 HER2-positive breast cancer.
“I’ve always been really healthy,” she said. “We exercise regularly and eat fairly healthy, so I just wasn’t expecting this diagnosis after a routine mammogram.”
She and her husband, Scott Wells, have served as executive pastors of The Gate Church in Hammond since 1999 and also serve as executive directors of the nonprofit InnerMission, which assists people in Northwest Indiana.
“The Lord was just so good to us as we walked through all of the stress of last year,” she said. “There’s a verse in the Bible that says, ‘The joy of the Lord is our strength.’ We saw that firsthand last year that, even on the darkest days, there was his joy and strength.”
As of August 2025, Wells is cancer free. And in August, she will become a grandparent for the first time.
Join Powers Health and Cancer Resource Center for a free outdoor celebration of life for those who have survived cancer and those who are on a journey to survivorship. National Cancer Survivors Day will take place from 1-3 pm Sunday, June 7, at Cancer Care Center, 10191 Broadway, Crown Point. Festivities will include music, lunch, giveaways and more. This free celebration is open to cancer warriors and their loved ones. Register by calling Powers Health at 219-836-3477.
