Sharon Delaney McCloud has a story that is both heartbreaking and inspiring—a story of loss, resilience, and determination that captivated over 415 attendees at Pardee Hospital Foundation’s recent Women Helping Women Luncheon. Now in its 28th year, the event raised over $150,000 to provide life-saving healthcare screenings and treatments for women in the community who cannot afford them.
Since its inception in 1997, the program has raised over $3.4 million, reflecting the community’s generosity and the critical need for these services. Over the years, Women Helping Women has grown into a powerful force for good, initially focusing on breast screenings and reducing the stigma of a breast cancer diagnosis. First Bank of Hendersonville presented this year’s event.
As Director of Corporate Communications at UNC Health, McCloud’s powerful keynote address drew from her own experiences, reminding everyone of the profound impact programs like Women Helping Women can have.
McCloud’s journey began with a successful 20-year career as an Emmy-winning television journalist, reporting on everything from NASA launches to the Super Bowl. However, her life took a dramatic turn when, six months after hosting a TV program on beating breast cancer, she was diagnosed with the disease herself. In April 2016, just two weeks before her regular mammogram, McCloud discovered a lump in her armpit that she initially dismissed as an ingrown hair. By the time she underwent testing, doctors discovered three tumors in her breast and a swollen lymph node. Fortunately, her provider had recently introduced 3D mammograms, a critical tool for detecting cancer in dense breast tissue—a condition that affects 40 percent of women and men.
Her treatment was arduous, involving chemotherapy, surgery, radiation, and a year-long clinical trial. McCloud shared with the audience that affording these treatments was not easy. “All of you here today are a miracle for people like me,” she said, applauding the work of the Women Helping Women program. She also revealed how it took her five years to pay off the medical bills and medications that insurance didn’t cover.
But McCloud’s battle with breast cancer wasn’t her first encounter with profound loss. In 2005, her six-month-old daughter, Macie, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive and extremely rare form of cancer in infants. McCloud described her baby girl as an “angel baby” with a calm, joyful spirit. “Even in the worst circumstances, Macie made us smile daily,” she said. Despite enduring four months of intense treatment, Macie’s little body couldn’t withstand the fight. She passed away on August 5, 2005, leaving an indelible mark on her family. “Her chemo protocol was 100 times harder than anything I went through,” McCloud reflected. “She was a little warrior, and her strength became a cornerstone for my own tenacity.”
McCloud also spoke about her struggles after her double mastectomy, sharing that it was one of the darkest periods of her life. However, having a strong family and friends support system made all the difference. “Everyone needs that friend who can come in and save the day,” McCloud said, encouraging the audience to be that lifeline for others in need.
Her story of resilience deeply resonated with the audience, serving as a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the importance of community in facing life’s greatest challenges. The funds raised by the Women Helping Women program will ensure that more women in need have access to critical healthcare services like mammograms, ultrasounds, and bone density scans—lifesaving tools that McCloud knows firsthand can change and even save lives.
