Cancer survivors and their dedicated care teams gathered Sunday afternoon at ZooMontana in Billings for a heartfelt barbecue celebration, uniting patients and providers in a relaxed setting outside the clinical environment.

Among the attendees was Christina Schy, a resilient breast cancer survivor who has faced and overcome the disease twice.

Reflecting on her journey, Schy shared, "It was definitely hard. Eight years later, I guess it came back as invasive. I just didn't expect it to ever come back and definitely not that soon."

Also present was Dennis Henderson, a lung cancer survivor diagnosed in 2020, who continues to monitor his health diligently.

Henderson recounted, "When I went in to my first doctor, she said I'll take care of that. I still go in probably once a month to make sure it doesn't come back."

Both Schy and Henderson expressed deep appreciation for the compassionate care they received from the Billings Clinic.

Schy noted, "It's been amazing. They're the ones that have gotten me through."

Henderson added, "It's everything. I go there with a pretty good mindset and I leave there with a good mindset, and I believe that's half the game."

The event at ZooMontana provided a unique opportunity for survivors and care teams to connect over food and conversation, fostering a sense of community and support.

For Schy, who also works in the cancer center at the Billings Clinic, the gathering held special significance.

She remarked, "It's so nice to kind of come in a laid-back, relaxed atmosphere. It's nice to be able to bond with people in a different way."