As an aspiring principal, Ashley Hardyway is used to being at the head of the class, but she faced her toughest test yet when a lump in her breast turned out to be cancer.
“I’m very independent, and I felt like I lost control over life,” says the married mother of four, who helps lead KIPP Truth Elementary in Oak Cliff as a principal in residence. “I forgot what it meant to take care of yourself when you’re in a leadership role.”
At age 42, Ashley knew she was overdue for her first mammogram, so this year she found the time to get tested near her home in Arlington. That test led to a diagnosis of Stage 1 breast cancer and, ultimately, a lumpectomy at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center.
“This journey has given me an invaluable perspective of gratitude, leading through empathy and loving without hesitation,” Ashley says. “I am so grateful for the gift of life that the doctors at Methodist have given me.”
FIRST MAMMOGRAM
By her early 40s, Ashley knew she needed to get her first mammogram. In years past, screenings began at age 50, but that guidance changed in 2023, when an influential task force set that target back a decade to age 40.
Women may want to get screened even sooner than 40 if they have a family history of cancer, like Ashley does, says her doctor, Katrina Birdwell, MD, breast surgeon on the medical staff at Methodist Mansfield.
“If a woman knows she’s at high risk for breast cancer, she should not wait until 40 to get a mammogram,” Dr. Birdwell says. “She should get high-risk screening before that.”
The key to preventing breast cancer is managing your risk factors. Take our health risk assessment. Visit MethodistHealthSystem.org
For Ashley, the results of that first mammogram were a shock.
“I went home thinking that was off my list for another year,” she recalls. “When they called me a few days later and said that a spot had been found, I was devastated.”
Ashley went back to Methodist Mansfield, and this time she got a diagnostic mammogram, followed by a biopsy. She brought her husband and mother to her first appointment with Dr. Birdwell, knowing she would need the support.
Ashley’s mother and husband were by her side starting with her first appointment.
“Dr. Birdwell and her entire team are amazing,” Ashley says. “One of my biggest prayers was that God would put the right people in my path and they would know what to do and where to go.”
At the appointment, Dr. Birdwell went over the additional testing she had ordered, a breast MRI and genetic testing, all scheduled at The Breast Center at Methodist Mansfield. The tests confirmed her Stage 1 breast cancer diagnosis.
“I was at work when I got the call that it was cancer,” Ashley remembers. “It felt like a gut punch.”
Ashley serves as a principal in residence at KIPP Truth Elementary in Oak Cliff.
ANSWERED PRAYER
Dr. Birdwell and Ashley talked through her surgery options, settling on a lumpectomy with a breast reduction and reconstructive surgery to follow before beginning radiation.
“Ashley and I both felt this was the best option for her,” Dr. Birdwell says, “taking into account future risks as well as the ultimate goal of leaving her with a body she can embrace.”
On April 16, 2026, Dr. Birdwell performed a lumpectomy on Ashley’s right breast. Just two weeks later, after pathology returned clear margins, Ashley underwent reconstructive surgery.
“We really wanted her to be treated well for cancer but to also be happy with the skin she’s in,” Dr. Birdwell says.
By mid-June, Ashley had begun her 15 rounds of radiation treatment and will never forget getting to ring the bell in August after completing her treatment.
“Today, I’m even healthier than I was before I had cancer because of the doctors at Methodist Mansfield,” Ashley says.
Returning to the hospital, Ashley showered her caregivers with flowers and balloons.
GRATITUDE IN FULL BLOOM
Back at her Oak Cliff school, Ashley found the support she needed to get back to work in the form of many hugs.
“Every child that walks through that door, they’ll stop and give me hugs. Being an educator means everything to me,” she says. “This experience gives me another level to really pour into the lives of other people by being an advocate for early detection.”
Growing up, Ashley’s mother and grandmother taught her that the best time to express gratitude is here and now.
Ashley could count on her husband and children throughout her breast cancer journey.
“Bring people flowers while they are still living,” Ashley recounts a lesson from her grandmother. “I made it a priority to visit every single doctor and caregiver to tell them thank you.”
That’s why Ashley brought a collection of flowers and balloons to each of the medical teams who cared for her throughout her journey.
“Methodist saved my life, and I wanted the people who nursed me, healed me, comforted me, to know the impact their care had,” Ashley says. “It was a journey full of blessings.”
Connect With Methodist