A BEAUTY THAT SHINES IN THE DARK

by Susie McEntire-Eaton, host of the Jesus Listens: Stories of Prayer YouTube series

EVERYBODY KNOWS someone whose outer beauty is only outshined by their inner light. For me, that’s my new friend Kym Douglas.

Kym is a reporter, and also a beauty and lifestyle expert. She’s a strong believer who has a lot of gumption, as we call it in Oklahoma. And it seems she has no fear about embracing new chapters.

When she was just twentyone, she landed a job as the anchor of a local news station in Michigan. One day she found herself interviewing a soap opera star, an assignment she covered with a bit of an eyeroll. But the man at the other end of the line happened to be Jerry Douglas, the headlining star of The Young & the Restless. And in a whirlwind, Kym found herself married to Jerry and living in Hollywood (needless to say, the interview went pretty well!). She built a life and career with Jerry and their son Hunter in California, where Kym spent decades doing what she loved.

But what do you do when life hands you that new chapter you never asked for? That’s where Kym found herself in 2018 after she missed three of her routine mammograms—she was busy, after all—and doctors found something. Thankfully, it was small, only Stage 0. But no one wants to hear the words, “You have breast cancer,” from their doctor.

Rather than go through chemo and radiation, Kym opted for a double mastectomy against her doctors’ wishes. It was a good thing she did, too. Because while they were in her chest cavity, Kym’s surgeons noticed three large tumors pressing into her lung.

In one surgery, Kym went from having Stage 0 breast cancer to Stage III lung cancer. She needed nearly 19 weeks of chemo. She lost her hair and seventeen pounds. She went through seven weeks of radiation—all this, while talking every day about beauty on highdef TV.

Kym pulled through, and gives all credit to God for getting her through that physical ordeal. But there was still another unwanted chapter ahead of her. Only three years later, she lost Jerry, her husband of 37 years, to throat cancer.

But through it all, Kym has been a fighter. And while she’s still reeling from Jerry’s loss, she remains a light. Because as she says, “All my days were preordained, and God is going to get me through them.” Amen, Kym. Amen.

Reader, you don’t want to miss what Kym has to say about getting through her latest chapter. So go ahead and scan this QR code with your phone and watch her story on YouTube! And don’t forget: no matter the chapter you’re going through, Jesus is here. He cares for you. And He's just a prayer away.