Summer 2009: Features

Jessica’s Rules

Pilates instructor and Emory Winship Cancer Institute patient defies cancer by living strong

Winship Cancer Institute patient Jessica Lucas, co-owner of Intown Pilates Atlanta and an actress, was diagnosed with breast cancer at 33. When doctors found it had spread to her liver, she went from early to late stage cancer in the blink of an eye. But over the past seven years—despite several surgeries, many rounds of chemo, and more than a hundred infusions—she has lived a vibrant, active life, defying the stereotype of chronically ill cancer patients. This is Jessica’s story, with images by Emory photographer Kay Hinton, as told in her own words.