From caregiver to patient

From caregiver to patient

For nearly 34 years, Janette Dawson has served as a social worker at Emplify Health by Gundersen, including 23 years in the Cancer Center. For the past 18 years, Janette has been designated as the social worker who follows all the breast cancer patients through their journey. She has walked beside hundreds of individuals facing cancer - offering comfort, serving as an advocate and connecting them with resources.

As someone who has supported patients for decades, Janette developed a deep understanding of the challenges that accompany a cancer diagnosis. The emotional strain of hearing the word "cancer," combined with the physical effects of treatment, can take a profound toll. When treatment disrupts a person's ability to work, the financial pressure can also become overwhelming. That's why Janette is especially grateful for Paula's Purse, a resource made possible by donors to Gundersen Medical Foundation that she can offer to cancer patients to help them meet their basic needs during an already difficult time.

Despite her experience supporting cancer patients, Janette's understanding of a cancer diagnosis recently shifted in a way she was not expecting. In April 2025, her annual mammogram revealed something concerning, and after additional tests, Janette was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. Just like that, her role had changed from caregiver to patient.

Throughout her cancer journey, Janette felt immense gratitude for her care team at Emplify Health by Gundersen - many of whom were not only colleagues but also close friends. Although her insurance offered options for where she could be treated, Janette never considered receiving care anywhere else, even knowing it meant sacrificing some privacy. "I was fortunate to know my care team personally and professionally.

I trusted them with my life - literally," she says. "I now have a new appreciation for patients who are expected to trust their care team with their lives, even though they start out as strangers."

A cancer diagnosis is frightening for anyone, yet Janette recognizes the advantages she had. Her cancer insurance allowed her to take several months off after surgery and chemotherapy, easing the financial strain that so many patients face. Janette was able to return to work and then undergo radiation treatments. Today, her cancer is gone, though she will remain on medication for several years.

As one of four facilitators of the Cancer Center's patient support group, her absence was quickly noticed. When she returned, though, she chose to be open about her diagnosis. Physical changes - her hair, her chest - were impossible to hide, but more importantly, she wanted patients to know she was okay. She also realized that sharing her experience and answering questions led to an even stronger connection with her patients.

Her time as a patient reshaped her perspective in unexpected ways. "The biggest surprise was how much deeper my understanding became," she reflects. "There was so much I thought I knew, but experiencing the diagnosis and treatment took that to a whole new level."

And, while Janette did not need financial assistance from a fund like Paula's Purse herself, she gained an even greater understanding of just how much relief a little assistance - one less thing to worry about - could bring to someone carrying so much.

Naturally, Janette also found herself revisiting the advice she had given patients for years. "So often I encourage my patients to make sure to involve their family, to be willing to accept help and to prioritize self-care. Being a patient taught me how hard that can be," shares Janette.

The ability to follow her own advice meant that for Janette, her daughters, Megan and Kaitlyn, along with her colleagues, became essential sources of support.

Today, Janette shares her story only when it might benefit a patient. And when she does, she shares without hesitation that she would choose Emplify Health by Gundersen again.

Like so many who face cancer, Janette's journey is one of fear and resilience, uncertainty and triumph. But her story is also uniquely powerful. As the 2026 Steppin' Out in Pink Survivor Advocate, she will continue to share her voice, her insight and her hope throughout the upcoming year.

Janette is, proudly, a survivor.