Who: Stephanie Taylor, currently in treatment

What: Power of Pink More: Pink Lady Shari Carmichael died on Aug. 13

Barry County woman who died in August remembered

Power of Pink has been helping women diagnosed with breast cancer for 15 years. Janice McCracken, founder of Power of Pink, has raised $464,843.40 for 58 women.

Over the years, those 58 women have led many different lives, some are in remission, some are surviving with breast cancer, and some have lost their lives. However, even in loss, the Power of Pink memorializes these women through telling their stories.

In 2025, four women were the Pink Ladies of the year. Two of their stories have already been told in the pages of the Cassville Democrat, and the two other women were able to tell their stories on the Power of Pink website.

Stephanie Taylor, a 48-yearold wife, and mother, was diagnosed with breast cancer on Dec. 4, 2024.

“[I have been] married for 26 wonderful years to my high school sweetheart Brent and a proud mother to three amazing children –Jackson (22), Colton (18), and Addy (12),” she wrote. “For the past 12 years, I have dedicated my career to teaching at Webb City High School, a role that brings me great joy and fulfillment.

“On Dec. 2, 2024, I underwent a biopsy for a suspicious lump. The following day, I received a notification from Mercy about new test results. The moment I read them, my heart sank — I knew exactly what they meant. In that instant, my world changed.”

On Dec. 4, Taylor met with her doctors, who confirmed her worst fear — she had been diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma with Metastatic Ductal Carcinoma.

“The news was devastating, but I knew I had to act quickly,” she wrote. “I reached out to KU for a second opinion, and after consulting with their specialists, a treatment plan was set in motion. My first round of chemotherapy was scheduled for Dec. 20, 2024.”

Taylor’s journey included six rounds of intense chemotherapy, followed by surgery, another six rounds of chemo, and finally, radiation.

“The road ahead is daunting, but I refuse to let this battle define me,” she wrote. “Through it all, I am deeply grateful for the love and support that surrounds me. Organizations like Power of Pink have been a beacon of hope, offering invaluable assistance to patients like me.”

Taylor wrote the financial burden of treatment, travel, lodging, meals and lost wages adds up quickly, and every bit of support makes a meaningful difference.

“This fight is just beginning, but I am not facing it alone,” she wrote. “I have an army of incredible family, friends, and supporters standing beside me, giving me the strength to push forward. I am determined to win this battle, and with your love, encouragement, and prayers, I know that I will.”

Taylor is currently still in treatment.

Shari Carmichael, was a 58-year-old woman who recently lost a battle with breast cancer.

“My husband, Kevin, and I have been married for 37 years,” she wrote for the Power of Pink website, months prior to her Aug. 13 passing. “We have lived on a farm in northern Barry County for the last 30 years. We raised our three sons on our family farm, and now, they are raising their families on the family farm as well.

“Days are filled with fun and laughter as we spend time with our six grandchildren five years old and under.”

In May of 2021, Carmichael retired from teaching at Billings Elementary.

“My plans were to spend time helping with my beautiful grandchildren,” she wrote. “In May of 2022, I requested that my surgeon remove a large cyst in my right breast. After doing pathology on the sample, they discovered a 4-1/2 cm HER2+ Breast cancer. “ She immediately began treatment.

“I had six chemo treatments, a bilateral mastectomy, 25 radiation treatments, and a year of Herceptin and Perjeta,” she wrote. “After completing this treatment protocol, we were optimistic that the cancer was eliminated. In May of 2024, I had a chest x-ray that revealed a large mass in my upper right lung. A week later, I had a lung biopsy that confirmed that my HER2+ breast cancer was back. A PET scan revealed multiple lung tumors, as well as tumors on my adrenal gland, my right hip, my lumbar vertebrae, my mediastinal and cervical lymph nodes, and my lower left leg.”

After getting an MRI of her brain, they discovered she had nine lesions in her brain as well.

“In May of 2024 I started taking ENHERTU treatments here locally every three weeks,” she wrote. “Unfortunately, this treatment stopped working after September of 2024. An MRI revealed that I now have 10-plus new lesions in my brain, as well as new tumors in other places. I started a new treatment protocol in January.”

She was receiving care from her local oncologist, as well as, from a breast cancer oncologist and a radiation oncologist at the KU Medical Center in Kansas City.

“God has truly blessed me with an abundance of friends, family, and church family who are continuously supporting me and encouraging me throughout this season of life,” she wrote. “Their love and support are what helps me continue along this journey embracing each day with a true faith in God, hope and optimism for the future, and gratitude for every blessing.”

Carmichael passed away on Aug. 13, 2025. There was a celebration of life on Aug. 22, at the Brookline Church of Christ. In lieu of flowers, people could donate to the Brookline Church of Christ to help fund “Nana’s Playground,” a special playground for the young children of the church.

The 2025 Pink Ladies’ stories will be printed each week in the month of October in the Cassville Democrat, and 10 percent of all advertising in the month of October will be donated to the Power of Pink.