Sharyl Saver - A Cowgirl with a Will to Survive
Sharyl always dreamed of writing a book.
As she fought triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form that overwhelmingly strikes young women, Sharyl shared her journey on her CaringBridge website, writing of love and loss, faith and hope.
Inspired by cancer survivor and best-selling author Kris Carr, who refers to herself and other women fighting cancer as “cancer cowgirls,” Sharyl began writing of her “cowgirl spirit” and signing her journal entries, “Holding my head high and fighting like a cowgirl.”
Hundreds followed her story, with visits to her CaringBridge site surpassing 34,000.
Sharyl made it her mission to help change the face of cancer—to let others know that people with cancer can still live productive and healthy lives. She continued to exercise, work and be a wife and mom—a hockey, football, dance, soccer and baseball mom, no less—while receiving chemotherapy, for as long as she could.
Fight with Cowgirl Spirit is a compilation of Sharyl’s CaringBridge posts and shares her journey of faith, hope and fighting cowgirl spirit.
In 2010, Sharyl was selected as the “Honorary Survivor” for her city’s American Cancer Society Relay for Life event, where she spoke of her faith, hope and belief for a future without cancer.
The text of Sharyl’s speech, “A Cowgirl with a Will to Survive,” was published in October 2012 in the anthology “Upon Arrival of Illness” by Savage Press. The anthology honors publisher Mike Savage’s niece, Kelly Culhane, another vibrant young wife and mother who lost her fight against breast cancer.