JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It's the ninth year Phil Porter, who is the owner of Subaru of Jacksonville, has awarded a hefty check to a local breast cancer warrior. For 2023, the recipient is Gina Hansen.
Hansen knows the journey after breast cancer all too well. Her family and friends told her, "You look great. The surgeon did a great job. I was thinking to myself, 'I have no breasts. What do you mean? And I'd just break down.'"
Hansen says she finally looked in the mirror and "almost passed out."
Some women have a double mastectomy, which is a surgical operation to remove a breast, and feel relief just to get their cancer out of their bodies. Other women struggle in ways Hansen experienced.
And for Hansen, the financial anxiety just added to the struggle. She has four teenagers and is a single mom. Her rent, she says, is "late, it's late every month."
Hansen told First Coast News that when she was recovering right after surgery, there was no way for her to work. She says she lost that source of income for months.
Hansen says her son, Nick who is a student at Creekside High School in St. Johns County, has a job of his own and often will shop for groceries and contribute to the family. But, with three teenage girls even practical items can be expensive each month.
"She's the most hardworking person I know," Nick said. "I have a friend who lost his mom to cancer. I think about it a lot. I'm just so grateful."
Nick then briefly choked up, holding back tears and hugged his mom.
"I'm glad I can still hug her," Nick said.
But, even with the awesome admiration from her teenage son, it would still be tough to pay all the bills. So, Porter surprised her with a check for $5,000.
"I really want you to know how much this really means and how much this helps tremendously," Hansen said.
Hansen says easing her anxiety is monumental and she's grateful.
Porter's project is part of Subaru's 'Live Learn Love' annual effort.