In September 2015, Renee was diagnosed with breast cancer the day after her 41st birthday. She had a fast-growing tumor that multiple doctors thought was benign that had to be removed. It was her goal to do what needed to be done medically and stay strong for her husband and three sons. On September 29th she underwent a double mastectomy and reconstruction surgery which would remove the cancer.

Before she could begin chemotherapy she developed an infection that was very dangerous and caused her to have emergency surgery. Renee was finally able to begin chemo on December 9th. On Christmas Eve 2015 the Overton family was hit with another challenge—their 18-year old son, Zach, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. In January, Renee and Zach began a six-month journey of going to chemotherapy appointments together. At the end of Zach’s six months, it appeared that all was well and his cancer had gone into remission. The family celebrated the fact that Zach would not need to see a doctor until his three-month checkup. Renee continued to have chemotherapy treatments which would last through November of 2016 and had six more surgeries but they were both getting better.

Unfortunately, the three-month checkup for Zach did not go the way anyone had hoped. His cancer was back and he would need more extreme treatment. He started in-patient chemotherapy treatment that kept him in the hospital for five days. As soon as the cancer shows the proper response to the chemo, Zach will be admitted to the University of Nebraska-Omaha transplant center for a stem cell transplant. He will be in the hospital for about four weeks. The only thing the Overton family has ever requested has been the prayers of friends, family and well-wishers. They are eternally grateful for those prayers.