How Books and a Quilt Provide Hope for Those Battling Breast Cancer

Beverly Vote received a bleak diagnosis of breast cancer 28 years ago. She was 38.

Before the internet, when breast cancer was still spoken about mostly in private, Vote learned and relied on the therapeutic power of sharing her story.

The sharing of that story resulted in the launch of the Breast Cancer Wellness Magazine, now entering its 15th year in publication.

Vote is a contributor to the “Chicken Soup for the Soul for Breast Cancer Survivors” and “The Pink Prayer Book” and is a co-author of “Faces of Inspiration.”

Vote will be the lead author of the book “Breast Cancer Tetelestai: By Faith, We See Our World Delivered from Breast Cancer,” along with fellow authors Sylvia Dunnavant Hines, a Plano resident, Sheila McGlown and Heather Wilson that is set for a fall 2020 release.

The book will include stories from other breast cancer survivors and will demonstrate how prayer can change lives, and how vision and faith can personally impact healing.

“Tetelestai is a Greek word meaning ‘it is completed’ and is the last word Jesus spoke when crucified,” Hines said.

Hines is the founder of the Celebrating Life Foundation, a nonprofit organization devoted to making breast cancer powerless by educating, encouraging and empowering those most impacted by the disease.

She is an author, photographer, public speaker, breast cancer advocate, and ordained minister joining Vote in a mission to promote global healing prayer over the seven continents of the world.  

“Beverly had a devastating diagnosis; and like so many others, she felt alone,” Hines said. “She was overwhelmed and scared. Through her illness she found the one thing missing from her life was prayer. Prayer changes things, and that is what this mission is all about – the power of prayer.”

According to Hines, through work with award-winning quilt designer Ann Coose from Camdenton, Missouri, a “breast cancer tetelestai quilt” has been created and will be sent to all seven continents, taking with it a special prayer translated in several languages for the end of breast cancer. 

As the special prayer and quilt make way around the world, locations from each of the seven continents will be captured on the breastcancerwellness.org website and the breast cancer tetelestai Facebook page.

For more information on the tetelestai mission, contact Hines at  sylviahines9@gmail.com or Vote at beverly@breastcancerwellness.org.