Valley woman diagnosed with breast cancer gets $10,000 grant to keep her dance studio running

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Central Valley dance studio owner closed her business earlier this year when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She had to close her studio to keep up with treatments and spend time with family.

However, she plans to reopen soon after receiving a check for $10,000 from a non-profit.

Patty Hart is the owner of Doll House in Fresno.

For the first time in years, she finally went to see a doctor back in January. Right away her breast cancer was detected.

"You just don't know what to think or what will happen. I thought about my family immediately and my grandchildren and our dance studio and how seriously it was going to affect every moment of our lives and it did and it has," she says.

She credits her dancing community, family, friends and of course the team at Kaiser for helping her through this journey.

Once it started Hart knew she needed to make the hard decision to step away from the studio.

"We did have to finally make a choice and many people told us you got to put your family first right now and everybody understands that," she says.

However, her life changed once again.

Hart recently was nominated to receive a $10,000 grant from Dancers Against Cancer, which will help her reopen and pay the bills.

Even though dancers will soon be out on these floors getting ready to compete, she says going through this has really altered her outlook on life.

"It makes me realize what's important in life and it's great to win a dance competition and we've won many but it's greater to have the memories with the kids behind the scenes and friendships and caring about one another."

As for Hart, she says she is doing better but still is on the road to healing.

She wants to encourage women to really get their mammograms.