Brenda Erickson underscores that she is a private person. But the 82-year-old lady has had an adventurous life. She and her late husband, Hyland (“Hy”), traveled the globe extensively and raised three children. Brenda is a two-time cancer survivor and agreed to be interviewed because she has a message she is vehement about.

“For me to do this interview is very unusual, but if it gets the word out to people who are 65 to 80 about getting regular mammograms, I am speaking up,” said Brenda. “Don’t take it for granted—cancer doesn’t have an age limit.”

Brenda was born and raised in small-town Stoughton, Wisconsin, and attended Marquette University. “Yes, I am a Cheesehead and a Green Bay Packers fan,” she added. In 1961 at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Brenda was a waitress and met Hy who was a lifeguard. She said it was love at first sight. They married three years later and were together for 56 years.

The Ericksons lived in Chicago and then moved to a suburb, Northbrook, where Hy was in the family business and Brenda raised their children. She volunteered with The Service Club of Chicago and the auxiliary of the Evanston Hospital. In 1989, the couple bought a house in Montana that Brenda and extended family continue to enjoy today.

Hy was an avid supporter of sportsman’s rights and wildlife conservation and always looking for the next adventure. Once the children were grown, Brenda joined him. The world map in the home office is bursting with pins marking visits around the globe. Hy went to Africa more than 42 times and Brenda, 15 times.

One day Hy said to Brenda, “We’re moving.” Since their son lives in The Village at Castle Pines, the Ericksons moved to Colorado in 2014 and also bought a home in the Village.

In 2020, Hy had completed his cancer journey but had a stroke. The day after his funeral, Brenda was diagnosed for the first time with breast cancer. She was 78.

“I had two lumpectomies and I was alone,” shared Brenda, who waited to tell her children until later. Brenda said her surgeon, Dr. Christine Rogness, made her feel loved and cared for before and after surgery. “Dr. Rogness prayed with me,” said Brenda. “It was beautiful.”

Fast forward to 2024. Brenda was at home with her beloved Bichon Frise Shih Tzu, Winston, when she received her second cancer diagnosis. Brenda credits the doctors and facilities at AdventHealth Castle Rock with the wonderful and comprehensive care she received through her latest treatments and surgery.

“From the time you enter the hospital, the staff is kind, professional and understanding,” said Brenda. “The facilities are beautiful, and having it in Castle Rock means a short drive for people needing treatment.”

Brenda is pleased that she can give back. She donated to The Rock of Hope campaign to extend the expert cancer care to AdventHealth Castle Rock, and she participated in the hospital’s fundraiser last month at the new Bar Hummingbird at The Brinkerhoff.

“Our community needs this facility,” Brenda concluded. And she reminds us all, one more time: “Go every single year to get your mammogram.”

 

Article and photos by Hollen Wheeler