By KARA FOWLER
Staff Writer
There are currently some beliefs that people don’t need a pap smear if they’re not sexually active. That is false, pap smears allow doctors to catch onto any unusual cells early that may lead up to cancer.
Kanzi Paquin, 31-year-old mom. She has five children whom she takes care of while she’s been battling the past 3 cancers that approached her. Many people find her videos empowering because it catches the realities of being in that position. She went through a hysterectomy, six surgeries, and three rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. After all that her journey would not come to an end. She preaches for people to go and receive a pap smear over social media with her journey.
In 2019, she didn’t have any interest in going to her annual pap smears. She had a previous record of having a procedure to remove precancerous cells. She said “Basically just laser it off. It was good to go.” and followed it up with “I didn’t really take paps after that seriously, I don’t know. It just didn’t seem like a big deal. No one really made a big deal.” She soon started showing symptoms before going to the doctor to get a pap smear.
After the following video was provided on her social media, she said “I found out recently that I have cervical cancer. I have to get a special test to see what stage it is. They told me I have Stage 3 cancer”.
The order she said that they appeared within was, “First, it was in my cervix,” and then following that “Then after my hysterectomy, I found it in lymph nodes. Then they had a nodule on my abdominal wall. Then, now, in my lung is what we’re dealing with. So it’s just been crazy.”
Paquin’s inspirational story has inspired other people to go and receive a pap smear. To prevent any chances of developing possibilities of cancer. She said “It’s just a part of taking care of yourself” proceeding with “You have to do it.”
You can find her Instagram and TikTok with the username Kenzinichole_. Her sister, Breanne, set up a GoFundMe on behalf of her sister Kenzi. You can find the GoFundMe by the following words of Kenzi’s Cancer Fund. The following GoFundMe provides Kenzi’s story in full detail.