South Elgin breast cancer survivor receives VIP experience at Bears practice

Advocate Health Care and the Chicago Bears teamed up to give a special breast cancer survivor a day she would never forget. Nicole Ferguson, a 43-year-old survivor from South Elgin, spent a Friday afternoon at Halas Hall, the Bears' training facility, with her family.

The group enjoyed lunch in the practice viewing suite as they watched the team prepare for its upcoming game against the Minnesota Vikings. After practice she and her family proceeded down to the field where offensive lineman Teven Jenkins presented Nicole with his No. 76 practice jersey, which this week featured a pink Advocate Health Care patch in conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

This month always holds a special place in Teven's heart after he lost his mother to breast cancer when he was just 6 years old.

“We had the most amazing time! Advocate and the Bears went above and beyond to celebrate my survivorship,” Nicole said. “To meet the players and celebrate with the team was such a memorable experience. Thank you for making the challenging time I went through so worth the reward.”

At the young age of 42, Nicole performed a self-examination last September and found a golf ball sized lump in her right breast and a biopsy confirmed an aggressive form of breast cancer.

Because of the diagnosis, her care team at Advocate Sherman Hospital's Cancer Care Center moved quickly as she required chemo prior to her double mastectomy.

Throughout her treatment, Nicole's white blood cell count and liver counts were not good, which required everyday shots and treatments.

On April 25, 2023, Nicole had a double mastectomy and on May 9, 2023, pathology results deemed her cancer free!

Nicole now volunteers her time at Sherman's Cancer Care Center where she brings patients juice, blankets or whatever else they need. But, more than anything, provides a listening ear for patients experiencing similar struggles she once did.