A pink tractor: Pulling for a cure

STEWARDSON – Belinda Bridges has driven a school bus for 22 years. Also a farmer, she enters pulling contests with the garden tractor her husband and son painted pink for her 2 years ago.

In February 2014, Bridges, 61, she was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. After a double mastectomy and several rounds of chemotherapy, she’s cancer free, but takes a cancer pill daily, and likely will for up to 10 years.

But she’s still pulling for a cure aboard that pink tractor.

She and her husband, Russell were married 43 years on Aug. 24, and her greatest gift in life is being a wife, a mother of three and grandmother of eight, Bridges said.

“I wasn’t sure 4 years ago if that was ever possible of celebrating that date again,” she said. “I look at each day differently, and thank God for these richest blessings that He has given to me.”

Her chemo drug therapy was potent.

“I had four different drugs going into me. One in particular was so potent that I had to put my fingers in ice water in order to keep my fingernails from falling off.”

So was her will to fight the disease.

“I told my doctor, if things don’t work out it will be OK. But, I would like to fight this with all I have. I have family that I want to take care of.”

Two years ago, Russell and her son Paul built her a special gift – a pink garden tractor with a 12 horse stock motor.

She pulls in about 12 competitions a year, including one coming up at noon Saturday that’s tied to a Effingham County Relay for Life event in Beecher City.

There were days she didn’t even want to try to get out of her favorite chair. The effects of the cancer and of the treatments mean she’s less tolerant of the heat and humidity, but otherwise she feels good.

“But, when I tractor pull, the guys make sure that I have a cool place and out of the sun, as quickly as possible. They take care of moving my tractor around for me. I have three generations that help out. We have three other garden tractors to pull, too.”

Her doctor, Bassam Maalouf at the Centralia Oncology Clinic and Crossroads Cancer Center was her caregiver, and she still has regular check ups with him.

“He always was very positive with me,” Bridges said.

“I think that helped in my recovery, too. Positive attitude helped.”

She has some advice for others undergoing cancer treatment.

“To my cancer buddies, smile each day. God loves you so dearly and praise Him for your many blessings each day.

“And watch for a pink tractor on the track called Survivor!”