Cancer Survivor Honors Cancer Hero

Dr. Judy Brown-Allen is not only a dedicated professor and senior lecturer of sociology at KSU, but she is also a three-time cancer survivor. Allen attributes her personal growth and transformation to her battle with stage four terminal breast cancer and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Allen is the youngest of eight children and she grew up in the small country town of LaMarque, Texas. Raised in a two-parent household, Allen’s parents were strict, yet loving parents who placed a strong emphasis on education.

Although Allen has earned her Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice from Texas A&M at Prairie View, her Masters Degree in Clinical Sociology from Texas A&M and her Juris Doctor from Atlanta Law School, these are not the things that matter most in her life. Instead, Allen has learned through her battle with cancer that loving people, helping others and experiencing life to its fullest.

“Think about who I was – I was very aggressive, I wasn’t a nice person. I wasn’t a horrible person, but in order to practice law you have to become the sort of person where people don’t matter,” Allen said.

After her diagnosis, Allen’s husband helped her prioritize what was truly important in life. “I needed to be sat down so that I could come to the realization that my life is not my life and I’m not in charge or in control. I planned my life to perfection. I didn’t make any mistakes that other people made. So where’s my reward?” Allen said.

Allen had just graduated from law school and was about to begin her career as a corporate lawyer when she began noticing that she was losing a lot of her hair and experiencing severe night sweats.

“Before I could even taste it – it was all snatched away overnight,” said Allen.

When the doctor told Allen and her husband that she had stage four breast cancer and that it was terminal, Allen said, “I started laughing hysterically like a hyena. This is not real, this is not happening – I’m dreaming.” She relates her reaction to her diagnosis as self-preservation because it was the only way her body could process the traumatic news.

Allen has been cancer free for 10 years now and her story is miraculous.

“I get my reward everyday when out of 30 students that I teach, I have one come back and write me a letter,” Allen said.

She is passionate about her work and her students at KSU.

Allen’s office is decorated with the cards and letters that she has received from all her students, thanking her for taking time to listen to them. Allen has endowed and founded the N.A.A.C.P. scholarship and also founded and funded the Dr. Judy Brown-Allen free lap top scholarship fund in honor of deceased colleague Dr. Jonathan Freedman.

But that isn’t the end of Allen’s generosity or of her service to the community. April 12 will now be annually recognized as Laura Stewart Day in Kennesaw, GA.

Allen was participating in the Survivor’s Walk for KSU’s first Relay for Life, when she first met Laura Stewart, who helped bring Relay for Life to campus. Meeting Stewart was emotional for Allen because she was battling breast cancer as well.

“Laura didn’t want anyone sad, so she ran up to me and just hooked her arm around my arm. She had the bluest eyes that I’ve ever seen on a human being and she had the brightest smile,” she introduced herself to us and we had a 30-minute conversation.

“It just turned from sadness to happiness,” Allen said.