Alice golf course employee rings bell after beating stage 3 breast cancer

Glenda Shult, a familiar face at the Alice Golf Course, rang the traditional bell to celebrate being declared cancer-free after a fight with stage 3 breast cancer. The gesture marked the end of active treatment for a woman who continued working through intensive chemotherapy and radiation while leaning on family, faith, and community support.

Shult received her diagnosis in December 2024 and faced months of demanding care that "took a heavy toll on her body," including radiation therapy and chemo. Despite extreme fatigue, she kept showing up at work. "The chemo made me very, very tired," Shult said, and she acknowledged how close she came to stopping treatment: "I wanted to give up. I was gonna call the treatment off. My husband and my kid said no."

The bell-ringing tradition is a visible milestone at the end of active cancer treatment. For Shult the moment was both relief and jubilation. "It was just like on cloud nine. If I could've turned a cartwheel or flip or something I would've," she said. Her recovery included visible signs that neighbors noticed: "I've got hair!" Shult added, describing how her spirits and color have returned since the lowest points of her treatment. "My spirits come back. My color's come back. You know - I'm looking like I was before the cancer. Because when you interviewed me - I was bald headed and kinda down."

The community has been an active part of Shult's journey. A golf tournament held in her honor in 2025 brought local attention and support, and Shult credits the "unwavering support of her family and the Alice community" for helping her persevere. When she was first diagnosed, the fear was immediate and raw: "When I first got diagnosed I was scared. I didn't know which way my life was gonna go. Whether I was gonna - honestly - make it or go to heaven. You know - I didn't know." She set a personal promise to fight back: "I said I was going to beat it and you would be back (to interview me again)."

Shult now remains on medication intended to reduce the risk of recurrence and will continue follow-up care. Her decision to work through treatment highlights challenges facing rural and small-town workers with serious illness: balancing employment, treatment side effects, and caregiving or household responsibilities. For Jim Wells County, Shult's recovery is a reminder of the importance of local support networks, workplace flexibility, and accessible survivorship care as more residents face chronic and complex health needs.

Neighborhood News Reporter Melissa Trevino first met Shult during the 2025 golf tournament in her honor; the encounter underscores how grassroots community efforts can translate into sustained emotional and practical support. For readers in Alice and surrounding areas, Shult's bell-ringing is both a personal victory and a call to keep strengthening local safety nets - from volunteer fundraisers to employer accommodations and survivor-focused health services - so neighbors have the support they need while undergoing lifesaving treatment.