When Jess Hilton gets set for the start of the third annual Be Kind 5K for cancer care on Saturday, April 5, she will be thinking about a lot more than just reaching the finish line.
She’s not only an aspiring radiographer on the front line battle against the life-challenging health condition, she herself is a survivor.
The 44-year-old Doylestown resident was first diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago. She endured the standard series of radiation treatments, then later another necessitated round of therapy and medication.
All of these gave her a great appreciation for what it takes to make it through such an ordeal and the reason why it’s so important for individuals to have a support system to wage this sort of battle.
The Be Kind 5K supports the Kin Wellness and Support Center located in Furlong. Hilton began going going to Kin not long after it opened several years ago.
“I attended events, tried to get support from them and make sure the community is aware of them,” Hilton said in a telephone interview. “Because I utilize their services. Did yoga, acupuncture. . .it just kind of gave me an opportunity to connect with other people that were going through a similar situation.
“It just kind of made you feel part of a community. The fact that the services are offered free of charge is just amazing.”
Kin Center director Keith Fenimore also founded and directs the Be Kind 5K.
Hilton grew up in northern New Jersey, lived on Long Island for a number of years but wanted to settle in a location that was a little less hectic.
She and her husband, Jeff, found Bucks County to their liking about 10 years ago and this is where they chose to raise their three daughters.
“We just wanted to find a place where we felt our kids were safe,” Hilton said. “Go ride their bikes without having to worry about them being out of my sight.”
She’s always been a bit of a health nut so when she received the initial cancer diagnosis, she didn’t have to make an radical adjustments in her lifestyle to stay on a recovery path.
“I ran the first 5K that Kin had (in 2023),” she said. “This year I’m running it with my (youngest) daughter (Riley, age nine) for the first time. We’ve never done a 5K together.”
No doubt all her children – including Kaelyn, 16, and Juliana, 13 – know how much the event and its cause mean to their mother.
Cancer treatment and support awareness have become increasingly prominent in our society over the years.
“A lot of people when they go through their cancer journey tend to kind of keep it to themselves,” Hilton explained. “They don’t like to share. But I’m like the opposite. I’m kind of like an open book.”
As they say, there’s strength in numbers.
“I want to share information so people can make maybe a different or better solution for their own treatment than what I did,” she said. “So since I began to share my journey publicly, I can tell you at least once a month I have someone that maybe I haven’t talked to in like 20 years comes to me and is like, ‘I just got diagnosed.’ ”
There is no such thing as too much information.
As for post-treatment support, a facility such as Kin Center can be invaluable.
“Kin is not just for the cancer patients, it’s also for their families; cancer affects everyone,” Hilton said. “I think it’s just important that people have this place to go to and have other people that can relate to them.”
It’s beneficial when people can bond together to share similar experiences.
“When you’re in a fellow survivor group, you’re all kind of on the same page,” she said. “Going through different battles but can relate to one another.”
As a prospective X-ray imaging expert (hoping to get into mammography and breast ultrasound), Hilton knows it’s important for women to get a set of complete tests to rule out less common/harder-to-detect forms of breast cancer. The medical community stresses this need for those with dense-tissue concerns.
She’s also involved in the cause to get tests such as deep-ultrasound screenings covered by medical insurance, which they not always are at the moment. Not all women can afford these more comprehensive exams.
Currently, the proposed “Find It Early” Act is sitting before the United States Congress waiting for approval. If passed, it will standardize the coverage and cost of these tests through insurance.
In all, the cause is near and dear to Hilton’s heart.
“I can’t tell you how many people just with the X-rays, like after a breast cancer diagnosis, they come in and I understand,” Hilton said. “I want to make sure they’re comfortable.”
And hopefully, the Be Kind 5K will help bring more awareness to the presence of the Kin Center.
“It’s such an amazing community center,” Hilton said. “I just feel so lucky to have Kin in this area. It’s helped me get through a very tough time in my life.”>Race calendarSaturday, April 5Third annual Be Kind 5K, 9:30 a.m., Holicong Park, Buckingham. Contact www.bucks5kseries.com
She’s not only an aspiring radiographer on the front line battle against the life-challenging health condition, she herself is a survivor.
The 44-year-old Doylestown resident was first diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago. She endured the standard series of radiation treatments, then later another necessitated round of therapy and medication.
All of these gave her a great appreciation for what it takes to make it through such an ordeal and the reason why it’s so important for individuals to have a support system to wage this sort of battle.
The Be Kind 5K supports the Kin Wellness and Support Center located in Furlong. Hilton began going going to Kin not long after it opened several years ago.
“I attended events, tried to get support from them and make sure the community is aware of them,” Hilton said in a telephone interview. “Because I utilize their services. Did yoga, acupuncture. . .it just kind of gave me an opportunity to connect with other people that were going through a similar situation.
“It just kind of made you feel part of a community. The fact that the services are offered free of charge is just amazing.”
Kin Center director Keith Fenimore also founded and directs the Be Kind 5K.
Hilton grew up in northern New Jersey, lived on Long Island for a number of years but wanted to settle in a location that was a little less hectic.
She and her husband, Jeff, found Bucks County to their liking about 10 years ago and this is where they chose to raise their three daughters.
“We just wanted to find a place where we felt our kids were safe,” Hilton said. “Go ride their bikes without having to worry about them being out of my sight.”
She’s always been a bit of a health nut so when she received the initial cancer diagnosis, she didn’t have to make an radical adjustments in her lifestyle to stay on a recovery path.
“I ran the first 5K that Kin had (in 2023),” she said. “This year I’m running it with my (youngest) daughter (Riley, age nine) for the first time. We’ve never done a 5K together.”
No doubt all her children – including Kaelyn, 16, and Juliana, 13 – know how much the event and its cause mean to their mother.
Cancer treatment and support awareness have become increasingly prominent in our society over the years.
“A lot of people when they go through their cancer journey tend to kind of keep it to themselves,” Hilton explained. “They don’t like to share. But I’m like the opposite. I’m kind of like an open book.”
As they say, there’s strength in numbers.
“I want to share information so people can make maybe a different or better solution for their own treatment than what I did,” she said. “So since I began to share my journey publicly, I can tell you at least once a month I have someone that maybe I haven’t talked to in like 20 years comes to me and is like, ‘I just got diagnosed.’ ”
There is no such thing as too much information.
As for post-treatment support, a facility such as Kin Center can be invaluable.
“Kin is not just for the cancer patients, it’s also for their families; cancer affects everyone,” Hilton said. “I think it’s just important that people have this place to go to and have other people that can relate to them.”
It’s beneficial when people can bond together to share similar experiences.
“When you’re in a fellow survivor group, you’re all kind of on the same page,” she said. “Going through different battles but can relate to one another.”
As a prospective X-ray imaging expert (hoping to get into mammography and breast ultrasound), Hilton knows it’s important for women to get a set of complete tests to rule out less common/harder-to-detect forms of breast cancer. The medical community stresses this need for those with dense-tissue concerns.
She’s also involved in the cause to get tests such as deep-ultrasound screenings covered by medical insurance, which they not always are at the moment. Not all women can afford these more comprehensive exams.
Currently, the proposed “Find It Early” Act is sitting before the United States Congress waiting for approval. If passed, it will standardize the coverage and cost of these tests through insurance.
In all, the cause is near and dear to Hilton’s heart.
“I can’t tell you how many people just with the X-rays, like after a breast cancer diagnosis, they come in and I understand,” Hilton said. “I want to make sure they’re comfortable.”
And hopefully, the Be Kind 5K will help bring more awareness to the presence of the Kin Center.
“It’s such an amazing community center,” Hilton said. “I just feel so lucky to have Kin in this area. It’s helped me get through a very tough time in my life.”>Race calendarSaturday, April 5Third annual Be Kind 5K, 9:30 a.m., Holicong Park, Buckingham. Contact www.bucks5kseries.com
