NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)— October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and being diagnosed with cancer can understandably flip your life upside down but, there is life beyond the battle.
Here’s a story about a New Orleans woman finding a new purpose in life.
Dancing and living life, are what Gina Pausina Cherry is focusing on these days.
“We just want to really get out there and show people that there is life after a cancer diagnosis,” said Cherry, the Bionic Babes founder and president.
Remember the name, Bionic Babes, Dancers of Hope.
“The dance team is for cancer survivors of any kind of cancer but, it’s also for medical professionals that deal with cancer patients,” explained Cherry.
An idea dreamt up during a dark time in her life, Cherry was supposed to be experiencing the happiest moments in her life. She had a healthy family and was newly engaged, but that’s when her world was flipped upside down.
“I was diagnosed in June 2017 with breast cancer which was only five months before I was getting married,” she told us. “So, I had to revamp the wedding, and I did within a week.”
She told us that she was diagnosed with the BRCA Gene1 and triple negative, which is an aggressive form of cancer. Then, things got worse.
“In 2018, my oldest son died in a car accident,” she shared with WGNO.
Pushing through the pain, she says she relied on her family and staying active to keep her going. Once she recovered from the loss of her son and received promising news from her doctors, she was feeling inspired.
Assembling her group of babes for their first performance, Bionic Babes and Dancers of Hope “wowed” the crowd with their moves, strolling around Mandeville for Pink with a Purpose earlier this month.
“As I was performing, the whole time I was thinking this is real. This is REAL. It’s happened,” Cherry said with excitement.
Dawning the Bionic Babes uniforms, you’ll notice a few differences, some wearing lavender and others in blue.
“I went with lavender because that’s the universal color of cancer and blue for medical professionals.”
Also, the wing color is based on the color that represents the type of cancer they beat.
Feeling the beat and ready to hit the streets, these ladies are ready to do the Mardi Gras Mambo. You can expect to see them a lot during the next carnival season.
If you know someone who could do a little “one-two-step” and is a cancer survivor, a doctor, or a nurse who works with cancer patients, then tell them to get their dancing shoes ready.
The Bionic Babes are looking for additional members and will be holding tryouts again soon.
Check them out: bionicbabesdancersofhope.com
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