Heroes in Heels Remembers Past Heroes

Like a Girl or Girl Power is a pop culture catch phase right now.  Tuesday, October 21, Heroes in Heels held its annual event  at the Factory. We saw some major girl power as 28 models walked and danced the runway showcasing the latest fall fashions from Dillard’s located in the Cool Springs Galleria.  But it was way more than fashion, it was about triumph.  All of these women have a story to tell about being, in the words of Mandisa’s Grammy winning song, Overcomer: “Staying in the fight until the final round.”

Kevin Clingan opened the show with a tribute to his wife Cynthia, and to Sue Fuller.  As Clingan shared their families struggles that cancer brings, he reflects back to last year when his wife walked that exact same runway wearing a little black dress.  A dress  that he says he had to buy for her because, he is a guy and he liked the way that she looked wearing it.  But Clingan goes  on to say that Cynthia said she felt “pretty” in that dress and wanted to feel that way forever.  Cynthia lost her battle to cancer on August 1, 2014.    The final walk of the  fashion show was Jade Dickson, Cynthia Clingan’s best friend,  who were both diagnosed with terminal breast/bone cancer last year.  Dickson said ” we promised to stay together whatever that looked like,” she goes on to say ” I had decided to not participate in this year’s Heroes in Heels until I received a text from Caroline, Clingan’s daughter, asking if she could walk with me in this year’s show. The Lord reminded me this was part of my promise to my friend.” The entire crowd was on their feet as Dickson walked the runway as if they were saying, “don’t quit, don’t give in, you’re an overcomer.”

The ABC program at the YMCA  helps over 200 women each year as they become stronger in spirit and in body after one of life’s most hard fought battles.  Each women is given a 12 week program where they learn about nutrition and exercise with most saying  it was the support of others that kept them going.  Last year, ABC partnered with Restore creating small groups.  The pilot finished finished earlier this month with the participants agreeing “its healing to be with other people who get it!”

And so as we watched another group of women proudly show us their fashion and share their battle stories.  We salute you as our Heroes for having Girl Power and not giving up!

To learn more about this program or to give a donation to the program, go here.  See our other stories about Breast Cancer awareness, here and here.

Thanks to the  Maryland Farms YMCA for allowing up to be a part of the program this year.