Maxine Myers, born in Aransas Pass, Texas came into a life wrought with hardship. Her mother became the sole supporter of Maxine and her brother when they were very young. Maxine witnessed first-hand the real life lesson of courage as she watched her mother struggle to make ends meet working long hours at oppressive jobs that required extreme physical labor. She also learned the jobs her mother did were more than work or a paycheck, but equaled – survival. These lessons of courage and survival stayed with her and prepared her for the hardships she would face in her life.
Maxine became a single mother herself due to divorce. At the time her children were ages; 9, 7 year-old twins, 4, and 1. Yes, you counted correctly – 5 children to bring up alone, with little to no money to live on, forcing her to live in less than optimal conditions. She summoned her inner courage for her personal survival and that of her children. Life was not easy with neither; money or her time being in large enough quantities to meet the needs of everyone that wanted or it.
Time passed and she worked her way up to Buyer. Her job with Coastal Corp brought her to Houston in 1974 and in a few years, the opportunity to meet Joe Myers. Their relationship blossomed and in 1981 they married. Meeting Joe was probably her destiny. What could be better than to live a love story with a man that was devoted to her and her to him? They had a great life together, able to experience it on full-tilt – until the unexpected happened. In 1996 they found out she had Stage 4 Breast Cancer. Maxine, once again, had to reach for courage to soldier on in what was to become her most significant battle for survival – literally. Despite the odds forecasted for her diagnosis, she beat them and was pronounced cancer free. She has since lost her dear Joe in 2001 of pancreatic cancer. Drawn to recognition of the perilous nature of life, she took an active role in her healthcare for continued survival. In 2006 and recently in 2011 she was indeed diagnosed with breast cancer yet again, but both cases were discovered early, treated and allowed her to be able to retain the title of being cancer free. Because of the personal impact this disease has had on her life and the lives of others, she donated $60,000 to the Nancy Owen Memorial Foundation to aid in their efforts to raise money to eradicate the disease.
Maxine focuses her life now on remembering – to one who has been given much, much is expected. She remembers the years of struggle she endured and how difficult it could be to keep her courage in the face of so much adversity. She now reaches out to others through her philanthropic efforts to help others to find their courage. One example is her involvement with the Fort Bend Habitat for Humanity. Through her generosity, she purchased, and then subsequently donated, 4 acres needed by the Fort Bend Habitat to construct their first ‘Village’ of houses for 18 families. She remained involved as the houses were being built, being onsite to help where she could. Now battling Parkinson’s, some tasks are difficult, but she showed up and if it was simply picking up debris, she did. Many of the new owners of these homes were single mothers with little children who needed such an option to be able to claim their survival too. As she said in a previous article “I know what it’s like. I feel deeply for these mothers”. For this reason, this project is of great significance to Maxine.
Another of Maxine’s passions is the men and woman in the armed services and the importance of acknowledging the courage they exhibit on our behalf. Randomly, without thought, she has reached out to service personnel she does not even know to extend her thanks. This has ranged from buying dinner for a platoon of men and their families that were in a restaurant having a meal while on route to maneuvers’ to seeking out the location of a wounded veteran whose story she read in the local newspaper. She went personally to shake his hand, give her thanks, and give him her season baseball tickets so he and his father could go enjoy the game together. Smile Trane and Doctors without Borders are two other organizations she supports with a generous heart. You have never really lived until you’ve done something for someone who can never repay you, Maxine lives authentically.
At 77, Maxine Myers is still living a life of great courage. She offers inspiration to others in the fight against breast cancer, whether they are recently diagnosed or deep in the trench of survival of the disease. She is a shining example for every woman that we can all live a triumphant life in a courageous fashion – without cancer, but particularly with cancer. She is an example of the ability to rise above the inequity of life a woman can encounter or be forced to endure, be it in the workplace, marriage, divorce, motherhood, and health. Maxine is an example that courage trumps fear and that a life of integrity is about living your best life authentically.