Pink Fire Trucks, a staple of the Pink Heals Movement tour, stopped at Brentsville District High School this Sunday afternoon to surprise a Nokesville woman who has been breast cancer-free since late April.
It has been a difficult three years for 47-year-old Carolyn Hawkins. After her husband passed away from a heart attack in 2010, she was diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer.
The winter and spring seasons were especially difficult as Hawkins fought cancer with a double mastectomy, eight rounds of chemo and 33 rounds of radiation.
“She’s had a rough year, but it’s looking up now,” said Hawkins’ mother, Betty Musick.
Hawkins’ mother and her three young adult children wanted to do something special for her to demonstrate their appreciation for her being so strong and keeping the family together and hopeful.
“She has had such high spirits, and we never once heard her complain about anything,” said Carolyn’s younger daughter, Susan Hawkins.
Friends wanted to do something special for Hawkins as well. So, when Tiffany Lee Lewis, a fire fighter in North Carolina who went to school with Hawkins’ daughter in Nokesville, learned about the Pink Fire Trucks, she arranged for them to visit Carolyn.
Once the Hawkins family spread the word, they had 30-plus people wanting to be a part of the surprise, and so they decided to move the fire truck visit from their home to the local high school from which Hawkins and all three of her children have graduated.
Jacklyn told her mother to wear something pink on Sunday afternoon, but otherwise, she had no idea where she was going or what the surprise would be.
When Jacklyn pulled up to Brentsville High School at 4:15 p.m., the pink fire engines, tour bus, and silver ribbon had just arrived. Soon, Hawkins was greeted by fire and rescue personal from Virginia Beach and national units of the Pink Heals Movement dressed in pink fire fighter suits.
Treating her like a homecoming queen, Mike Mullen, Eastern Region and Virginia Vice President of the Pink Heals Movement, handed her a bouquet of flowers and a pink-feathered boa before giving her a kiss on the cheek.
“We’ll be praying for you and you can sign the truck, so we can take you with us,” he told her.
Hawkins saw the pink fire engines covered in signatures, and all her friends and family from the area decked out in bright pink.
Jacklyn said the surprise had been a success
“She had no idea. This was a complete surprise for her,” she said. “We just wanted to show her we love her and support her.”
Together, the Nokesville group posed for photos in front of the giant silver ribbon and Pink Fire Trucks. Mullen made sure to include silly poses and faces, saying they serve as an inspiration for people in the hospital still fighting the disease.
Hawkins thanked everyone for their love and support and offered hope for others struggling with breast cancer.
“Anybody who has to battle with cancer, it’s doable,” Hawkins said. “I’m here and it’s gone, and I feel fantastic.”
Mullen explained that the Pink Heals Movement was started when one man, who had not been personally affected with cancer, told another friend how cool it would be to buy a fire truck, paint it pink and use it to solicit local donations to help families fighting breast cancer.
A woman behind him at the coffee shop heard his idea and asked how much a fire truck would cost. She then donated the $10,000 to get the movement started.
Ironically, the same woman, Karen, who was cancer-free at the time, was diagnosed one year later. They named the first fire truck Karen, and Karen’s struggle against the disease pushed them to make the movement successful.
Pink Heals with its signature Pink Fire Trucks began a national movement lead by fire fighters, EMTs, police officers and teachers volunteering their time. It is a not for-profit and not-for-salary, and it gives all the money it raises back to the communities it serves, so if anyone there needed help paying for cancer treatments, it would be there for them.
While the trucks came from other parts of Virginia, Mullen encouraged Prince William County residents to start their own Pink Heals chapter.
Afterwards, he invited people to buy fundraising Pink Heals t-shirts or jackets, which most people did. Many bought ones not just for themselves but for friends and family members too.
Mullen, who is also a fire fighter in Virginia Beach, shared a bit about why he wanted to be involved with the cause.
“A woman is the most selfless person on the face of the Earth. She will put everyone first,” Mullen told the crowd. He encouraged others to help take care of women by supporting or starting a Pink Heals chapter.
Readers can visit www.pinkfiretrucks.org to learn more, buy some charitable yet fashionable clothing or make a donation.
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