Stories of Strength: DeRhonda Perkins
A STORY OF FAITH, RESILIENCE & TRANSFORMATION
By: Paola Corvos & Riley Ellison
DeRhonda Perkins is a born again believer, wife, mother, and a woman whose strength has been shaped by both love and adversity. Originally from Michigan, she moved from Las Vegas to Charlotte in 2023 with her husband, Ray. Married for 26 years, she is the proud mother of three sons — Ray Jr. (25) and twins Ryan and Randell (20), who also live in Charlotte.
Professionally, she works for the City of Charlotte as a Senior Internal Auditor and holds a Master of Business Administration.
Personally, she enjoys spending time in prayer, meditation, being with her family, reading and exercising. Reading became especially meaningful during her cancer journey—a refuge, a resource, and a way to process trauma.
Her story is one of perseverance, faith, and the power of advocating for oneself.
“I had to really advocate for myself.”
– DeRhonda
Road To Diagnosis
In 2017, a routine check revealed precancerous cells in DeRhonda’s left breast. She underwent a lumpectomy and spent the next seven years under close monitoring, including diagnostic ultrasounds and multiple biopsies — all benign, yet emotionally draining.
Life continued around these moments of uncertainty as she worked, raised her sons, and built her life with Ray. But each scan still carried a quiet weight.
In 2024, a year after moving to Charlotte, that weight became a reality. After an MRI and a follow-up mammogram, she found herself back for a diagnostic ultrasound. The atmosphere shifted the moment the radiologist entered the room to speak with her—a first in seven years of testing. The news arrived in a phone call at work a few days later: it was cancer.
“Here we go again.”
– DeRhonda
The Battle Beyond The Diagnosis
Diagnosed with stage zero high-grade DCIS, with the potential to return more aggressively, DeRhonda weighed three treatment options: a second lumpectomy followed by radiation, five years of hormone therapy and long-term close monitoring; a mastectomy of the left breast; or a double mastectomy with reconstruction.
DeRhonda considered the years of emotional strain and a new benign cyst in her right breast. After much prayer she chose a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction. She had both surgeries on February 21, 2025.
Recovery initially went smoothly, but in April she contracted COVID and an incision infection leading to emergency surgery. To avoid restarting the expansion process, DeRhonda decided to have her expanders removed and final implants placed.
Complications continued as long COVID set in, and two incision reopenings. Several medical misdiagnosis led her to advocate for her own care and change primary care providers. A series of medical crises followed — a lung blood clot, months on blood thinners, and severe back pain that doctors struggled to explain.
Eventually, she learned her body had endured so much trauma that her muscles had shut down, requiring five months of physical therapy to rebuild her strength. This period forced her to confront her own mortality in a way she never had before.
Faith, Family, & The Fight To Keep Going
Throughout her journey, emotional support became essential. DeRhonda worked with two mental health therapists to process trauma, anxiety, and fear. Her mother traveled from Michigan for surgery, helped with recovery and returned when complications arose.
Her husband, Ray, was her anchor. He compartmentalized his own feelings to support her, reminding DeRhonda daily: “You’re going to make it through this. You’re going to be alright.”
At her lowest point, she reached out to a prayer group. They prayed with her daily and her health began to shift. Faith in God became her lifeline.
“You’re going to make it through this. You’re going to be alright.”
—Ray
Community & Connection
In March 2025, DeRhonda met Charmaine Tyson, Operations Manager, at Carolina Breast Friends (The Pink House). At first, she didn’t have an interest in participating in any gatherings or programs, but in September, she began attending events and connecting with other survivors.
This decision changed everything. She found: A space to be transparent, women who understood her pain, a community that wasn’t defined by negativity, and a sisterhood built on love, resilience, and shared experience. She describes it as a blessing — a place where she could finally exhale.
“Early on they provide all this support, but when I needed it the most, it was not there.”
—DeRhonda
Advocacy & Identity
DeRhonda believes that every diagnosis, every procedure, and every scar — both physical and emotional — stays with a woman for the rest of her life.
She emphasizes the importance of empathy, the need for sensitivity, the power of early detection, and the reality of racial disparities in healthcare.
As a Black woman, she often felt unheard, which forced her to advocate fiercely for herself. Now, she uses her experience to help other women do the same.
“Breast cancer is bigger than what you see on the outside.”
—DeRhonda
Transformation
Despite everything she faced, DeRhonda never stopped living. She held onto the things that grounded her — her faith in God, her family, and the routines that helped her rebuild her strength piece by piece.
With her husband’s steady support and her own determination, she pushed through fear and found a deeper spiritual and emotional transformation.
Today, she stands stronger, more grounded, and more aware of her purpose, carrying the wisdom that healing is never linear.
Her journey encourages others to lean on their faith, advocate for themselves, seek community, embrace vulnerability, prioritize early detection, and keep living fully.
Her transformation continues, and her strength remains a source of inspiration.
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