BOOK - Dayna Besser holding a book detailing a timeline of her battle with breast cancer between 2007 and 2008.
Star Eagle photos by Mikayla Besser
By MIKAYLA BESSER
Contributing writer
Editor’s note* A message from the author of this piece: “This article is in honor of my mother, Dayna Besser, but also in honor of my father, Chris Besser, who passed away in 2013 from lung cancer. I know he would be very proud of the women my sister and I have become.”
October is breast cancer awareness month. One out of eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. In 2007 Dayna Besser (Stenzel) joined this group.
Dayna grew up with four siblings on a farm outside of Freeborn where her parents Maynard and Syvilla Stenzel made their home for more than forty years. Maynard was a farmer, and Syvilla worked at the New Richland Care Center. Dayna graduated in 1988 from Alden High School. After high school she traveled for a few years before attending Brown Institute in Minneapolis in 1991. After getting her degree in Graphic Art in 1993 she moved back to her hometown, where she met Chris Besser. The two married three years later and had two children, Mikayla and Morgan, who both graduated from NRHEG High School, Mikayla in 2016 and Morgan in 2021.
“My mom has been through a lot in her life,” Mikayla said. “I am honored to help share her battle with cancer.”
On July 16, 2007, at the age of 37-years old, Dayna was diagnosed with breast cancer. Dayna is an animal lover and in between horse shows, she discovered a lump. A family history of cancer led Dayna to get her first mammogram on July 11, two days prior to her birthday. A biopsy five days later confirmed her suspicions. The next week was a blur for Dayna as she saw multiple doctors in preparation for surgery.
On Aug. 3 Dayna had her first surgery.
“I don’t remember much during this time,” Dayna said. “My parents were there the whole time to help. After surgery and during chemo, my mom stayed with me the whole time.”
On Sept. 7, the doctors had good news. The cancer did not spread to Dayna’s lymph nodes. If it had, it could have spread quickly throughout the rest of her body. With the good news, Dayna moved to the next step of treatment, chemotherapy.
Chemo started on September 24, 2007 and lasted until January 3, 2008. This entire time Dayna had a family to raise and care for.
“My kids always come first, then and now,” Dayna said. “Morgan was sick on and off that November during the height of my chemo. I remember running a bath for her when I suddenly got very dizzy. My dad took me to the ER and Mom stayed home with Mikayla. Thankfully I was okay, but the doctors told me I needed to slow down and stop overworking myself. After that Mom started staying with us to help out.”
The next hurdle in Dayna’s fight with cancer was radiation treatment. On March 11, 2008, after five weeks of radiation, five days a week, Dayna’s treatment was finally complete.
Following the radiation treatment, while still waiting for results, the New Richland Lions Club put on one of their famous pancake breakfasts for Dayna on April 6, 2008.
“It helped our family have some light and laughter during a difficult time,” Dayna said. “It gave us support when we needed to push through.”
On July 10, 2008, Mayo Health System sent a letter saying, “After reviewing your screening mammogram performed on July 9, we are happy to report that it shows no evidence of breast cancer.”
Since that day Dayna has been breast cancer free for fourteen years.
“I couldn’t have made it through without my parents,” Dayna said. “Which is why, if you look closely at the photo with this article, the pictures hanging on the wall next to me are my parents. They have both since passed on, and I loved the idea of honoring them by having them included in this photo.”
Now that Dayna’s kids are grown up, they have followed the example set by their grandparents and go with their mom to her annual appointment.
“I was one of the lucky ones,” Dayna said. “I didn’t lose my battle with cancer, but there are many who do.”
October is breast cancer awareness month because it is the most common form of cancer. It should also be a way to highlight overall awareness and struggle endured by those battling cancer as well as those people’s support systems. This topic should be talked about more. The sooner cancer is found, the better chance a person has to survive. For more information on the possible early signs of cancer, please visit mayoclinic.org.