A husband and wife in North Carolina have survived cancer six times between them — an experience that has turned them into outspoken advocates for early detection.
David and Pat Penny of Johnston County have been married for more than 51 years, according to local news outlet WRAL.
David, an Army veteran and former career firefighter, has faced five separate cancer diagnoses over his lifetime, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, sarcoma and, most recently, male breast cancer — a rare form that affects only about 1 percent of men.
“He was supposed to be dead at 30,” Pat told the outlet. “We’re just blessed. He’s the ever-ready bunny. He takes a licking and keeps on ticking.”
David said his latest diagnosis began with a self-exam in the spring of 2025, when he noticed a pea-sized lump in his breast tissue.
“When I felt it, I said, ‘This is not normal,’ ” he recalled.
He underwent a lumpectomy the following week, and his scans are currently clear.
Pat, meanwhile, was diagnosed with breast cancer at 56 after a routine mammogram in 2009. She believes keeping that appointment made all the difference.
“They found my cancer early. It was really deeply embedded. If it had grown to the point where I could’ve found it, it’d have been too late,” she explained.
Today, both David and Pat volunteer with the American Cancer Society, using their experience to remind others to pay attention to changes in their bodies and to stay consistent with regular checkups.
“Nobody knows your body but you,” David said. “If you have anything wrong with you, don’t put it off for a week or two weeks hoping it’ll go away.”
“Early detection and early treatment is so important,” Pat added. “There’s no age; just because you’re young or old, either way, you can get cancer. So be aware.”
