Woman's breast cancer journey shows light at the end of the tunnel

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Tara Squire's battle with breast cancer started in 2014. Her story is proof that a lot can happen in 10 years. 

Being diagnosed with cancer can be overwhelming. There is a lot of information to process, and if you're anything like Squire, the subject of fertility and whether to freeze your eggs may be the furthest thing from your mind. She said she ultimately decided to, but probably wouldn't have if it weren't for a simple conversation with her doctor, Dr. Mark Cripe. 

"You have to not only figure out if you want to have kids, then you need to figure out what's your insurance carrier going to cover," Cripe said. "Then you need to go see a fertility specialist. It might take a while to put you into ovulation so then you can harvest eggs. So that might take a month or two until you get to surgery."  

"It went from a mammogram to immediate ultrasound, and then they said that I needed a biopsy," Squire said. 

 In 2014, Squire got the news no one wants to receive. 

 "I still vividly remember like four days later, Dr. Cripe giving me a call in the evening and just telling me it's not what we expected it would be," Squire said. 

 Squire was told she had stage one breast cancer. 

 "I knew I wanted a family," Squire said. "I was dating, at that point, my now husband." 

After her diagnosis, Squire said she didn't think having kids was in the cards for her. That all changed when she sat down with Cripe who suggested harvesting her eggs. 

"The big thing is usually chemotherapy, just because that's going to shut down some of the ovarian function and make it a lower chance of getting pregnant," Cripe said. "So we need to have those discussions upfront early." 

"In that moment, all I could think about was I wanted this cancer out of me,” Squire said. “I want to get treatment, and I want to do the next pieces. But I was very, very happy that he was thinking about my future and wanted to at least give me that opportunity even if I decided not to use it in the future, it would still be there."  

Squire and her now husband John began the long and emotional IVF process. 

"On our last attempt, we decided we were going to implant two embryos," Squire said. "It had failed every other time beforehand. And John's face, when we looked up at the monitor and he's just like, ‘I know what that is.’" 

 It was twins. Jack and Isabel Squire were born last February.  

"They're my miracle babies and I would encourage every young woman out there whether you're in a relationship or not, even if you are in a relationship, and you receive that diagnosis, to ensure to ask your doctor about it," Squire said. 

Cripe said they're seeing more young women get diagnosed with breast cancer.  

"That's really what we're focusing on for fertility issues is going to be someone that's pre-menopausal," Cripe said. "So the younger the person, the more years that you could potentially be on treatment if they're hormone receptor positive, and so we just have to think about all of those options and how we're going to be changing that ability to get pregnant in the future." 

Now, both Squire and Cripe work together in breast surgery at OhioHealth. Squire gets to help and connect with cancer patients, a position she knows all too well.  

"They're at the beginning and I'm at the end, so it's just wonderful for them to see there is a light at the end of the tunnel," she said. 

Squire is a practice administrator at OhioHealth. She said it's rewarding having the privilege of working with the team she feels saved her life. 

Cripe reminds women to listen to their bodies. He said when you notice something isn't right, consider getting a second, even third opinion. He said at the end of the day, you are your own best advocate.