WHITESTOWN — Tanya Sumner, known as Tanya Spencer during her television reporting career, won the election to serve District Three on the Whitestown Town Council and has now elected to share her secret.
Sumner is fighting an aggressive cancer which started in her colon and has now spread throughout her abdomen.
"Faith in God," Sumner said. "If I'm going to be healed, its going to God who heals me."
Tanya spent 10 of her 20 years in television journalism as a reporter and anchor at WRTV.
While her television career by its nature was public, the married mother of a teenager always cherished her privacy including when she left television to pursue other dreams.
Her biggest challenge surfaced on Nov. 17, 2022. Emergency surgery led to the discovery of colon cancer. She'd face six months of chemotherapy, and wanted no one to know.
"I will plow through this. No one really needs to know. My hair didn't fall out so I can keep it a secret," Sumner said.
The chemo failed, and to make matters worse, the cancer spread throughout her abdomen.
"I have a rare genetic mutation. It's called Kras G12c mutation. It's very aggressive, very fast growing," Sumner said.
By September of this year, she'd learn that a new round of cancer fighting drugs were also not effective.
Despite that, there was still hope and she learned on her friends Julia Kathary and Jody Chiarotti to help. The trio met in Evansville and formed a life long bond close to entering 30 years.
"I took Tanya to the doctor's office and we told them we are not leaving until they started something. We were fire breathing dragons," Kathary said.
Sumner says that through this journey she had be her own healthcare advocate, but on the days she's tired and weak her friends were rock stars.
"They've been my advocates. They've lifted me up," said Sumner.
On Oct. 27, she began taking two therapies not covered by insurance. The treatments every two weeks involving two separate medicines involve a combined cost of about $35,000 every month or $421,000 a year.
Her friends stepped in and found that the manufacturers of her medicines offer grants to offset the cost. Tanya received one grant from Mirati Therapeutics for the drug Krazati and is waiting on Eli Lilly and Company to see if they will provide a grant for their drug Erbitux.
"I'm very excited and hopeful these work," said Sumner.
Sumner is also encouraging others to get a colonoscopy. The now 52-year-old waited to get a colonoscopy check-up, unaware that in 2021 new guidelines called for the screenings to begin at age 45 instead of 50.
"If you could imagine me finding this grapefruit size tumor 6 years earlier--we would be having a different conversation. " Yeah its (a colonoscopy) uncomfortable, its unpleasant. No wants a colonoscopy but get the thing. Get it at 45," said Sumner.
Her friends credit her strong will for being able to fight the cancer.
"It's a good thing your stubborn because you being a fighter is why you're here," said Chiarotti.
What's clear is that for Tanya faith, family and friends are keeping her focused on the days ahead.
"Everyone should have two best friends like these two. Everyone in life," said Sumner.
