EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -
There's a nurse at Deaconess Women's Hospital who's battled breast cancer for years.
She and her family are fighters and to do something special for them, co-workers at the hospital decided to send the family on a trip.
She may only be 40-years-old but Wendy Shepherd has quite a story.
She's battled cancer for six years now. Although it was painful, Wendy was brave enough to tell us her story on camera Friday.
Wendy and her husband Brian have three young daughters. Hope is nine and twins, Brooke and Paige are seven. She says they're her reason to keep fighting.
"I live every second for them. I thank God for every day that he gives me with them," Wendy said.
"They know mom is sick. I don't think they know how bad it is," noted Brian.
Wendy has spent years meeting with doctors and nurses in hopes of ridding the cancer.
"She did give me a year, about a month ago, which has been the hardest part," Wendy said of one doctor she visited.
After the latest diagnosis, Wendy's coworkers in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit decided they should do something. They've raised almost $8,000 dollars to send the Shepherds to Disney World.
"You don't realize how much people come together and help in a time of need like this. I couldn't ask for a better place to work. I've been here when we opened in 2001, and they have been behind us every step of the way. I can't begin to thank them all enough," Wendy told 14 News.
Wendy says she takes one day at a time, sometimes even one hour at a time, because she plans to make as many memories as she can with her family.
Although they've been through one struggle after the next, both Brian and Wendy stay hopeful.
"It's made us closer and stronger," Brian told us.
"We've tried everything we can and we're going to continue to do that," said Wendy.
The Shepherds leave for Disney World next week. Wendy is taking a chemo holiday so she's healthy enough to go.
If you'd like to contribute, their Church has set up the Wendy and Brian Shepherd Fund at Old National Bank.
And if you'd like to help battle breast cancer, join us September 22nd, in Downtown Evansville for Race for the Cure.
Copyright 2012 WFIE. All rights reserved.
She may only be 40-years-old but Wendy Shepherd has quite a story.
