Heather Adams will be opening up her yard in Franklin Township this weekend for people to get their pictures taken with the 20-foot breast cancer ribbon that is painted on the lawn.

FRANKLIN TWP — Heather Adams doesn't call herself a cancer patient or a cancer survivor. She says she's a cancer fighter, and the fight hasn't been easy.

Since she was diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer three years ago, she's undergone a double mastectomy, a hysterectomy and chemotherapy treatments. Right now, she says her cancer is “at bay.”

She hasn't been able to work since March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and if it hadn't been for her boss at ITLS in RIDC Park keeping her health insurance intact, “I wouldn't be here.”

Still, she hasn't let her disease get the best of her.

She said, “My goal, my passion is connecting with breast cancer patients.

“I enjoy connecting with other people, so they know they are not fighting alone,” she said.

To increase her connection and to raise awareness of breast cancer, Adams is inviting people to her home at 7248 Ridge Road, at the intersection with Reiger Road, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday to get their pictures taken with a 20-foot cancer ribbon painted into her yard.

“My fiancé, Shawn Coddington, painted a 20-foot cancer ribbon in the yard. He literally used 10 cans of spray paint in my honor for breast cancer awareness,” she said.

She wants people to get their pictures taken with the yard ribbon.

Visitors are asked to wear masks, but Adams says she has 100 pink masks that were donated for anyone who needs one.

Adams also hopes to give out 100 chemotherapy gift bags that she has been assembling.

Each gift bag will contain a journal and pen, chap-stick, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, a breast cancer bracelet, a bag containing hard candy and gum, and a hat and gloves.

Visitors will also receive one of 200 pink carnations donated by a New Kensington business.

Visitors will be able to sign a guest book and cardboard ribbon that will be displayed on Adams' garage.

There will also be raffles for two gift baskets along with “No One Fights Alone #Hopeatthefarm” T-shirts and cookies and beverages.

Adams said all the money raised will be used to create Christmas chemotherapy gift bags to be divided between patients at the UPMC Hillman cancer centers in Butler County and the cancer center at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights.

Breast cancer awareness is very personal to Adams.

“I was 41 years old when I had my very first mammogram. A week later, I was going in for a biopsy,” she said.