Giselle & AvaMarie Watkins’s Story

Giselle and AvaMarie Watkins are taking the Runway for Recovery stage in honor of the woman who taught them what courage truly looks like: their mother, Shadon Watkins.

When Shadon first became part of the Runway for Recovery family, she was living with metastatic breast cancer. Even then, her greatest concern wasn't herself—it was her children. She wanted to make sure Giselle and AvaMarie could continue being kids, even as cancer changed nearly every part of their family's life.

"It has impacted us tremendously," Shadon shared during her time in the Family Grant Program. "Emotionally, financially...our whole household became different."

As the disease progressed, so did the challenges. The fatigue from treatment made it impossible for Shadon to continue working. Her husband paused his own career while attending school, and the family struggled to keep up with rent, groceries, car payments, and the everyday expenses that continue even when cancer enters your home. Throughout it all, Runway for Recovery helped provide financial support, groceries, bills, and opportunities for Giselle and AvaMarie to continue participating in childhood activities.

In one of the letters she wrote to our team, Shadon reflected on what that support meant.

"Being able to focus on becoming healthy again, and treatment without having to worry about the essential things like bills and groceries was really God's blessing. I didn't have to worry about my phone being disconnected or how I would provide food for my family because that was taken care of. Even with my children growing so fast, it was a blessing to be able to shop for them and help them keep their confidence while I endured everything my health threw my way."

While cancer relentlessly spread—from her lymph nodes to her lungs, liver, and eventually around her heart—Shadon never stopped talking about her daughters.

"They are amazing. Thriving," she told our Care Team during a check-in. "They are what keep me going."

Even during some of the hardest moments of her illness, she was excited about the idea of walking the Runway for Recovery stage with them. It was something she looked forward to with hope.

Shadon faced metastatic breast cancer with extraordinary honesty. She spoke openly about the emotional toll of living with an incurable diagnosis, the anxiety that came with every new symptom, and the overwhelming exhaustion that made even simple tasks feel impossible. She asked for help when she needed it, worked to reconnect with therapy, and never stopped searching for ways to give back to others despite everything she was carrying herself.

She also never lost sight of gratitude.

"Thank you doesn't seem good enough," she wrote. "Runway for Recovery really has changed my life, and I will be forever appreciative."

On every call with our team, one thing remained constant: her love for Giselle and AvaMarie.

Today, Giselle and AvaMarie carry forward that same strength.

In 2024, they danced alongside their mom on the Runway for Recovery stage, celebrating her courage and the unwavering love that held their family together. Last year, after Shadon's passing, they returned to the runway to honor her memory. And this year, they dance once again—continuing a tradition that has become a beautiful tribute to the woman who taught them what resilience truly looks like.

As they take the stage, they do so in honor of a mother who fought every day to give them as much normalcy, joy, and love as possible. They dance for the woman who never allowed metastatic breast cancer to define her, who continued putting her daughters first through surgeries, hospitalizations, and countless treatments. They dance for the woman who showed them what courage looks like.

Because while metastatic breast cancer took Shadon far too soon, it could never take away the love, strength, and hope she planted in Giselle and AvaMarie—gifts they now carry with them every step of the runway.