Tumors don't stop CCRI patient from earning degree, launching ventures

Chantal Taylor of Jackson writes about characters with grit and determination, but in her fight against a rare type of tumors in her hands and wrists, she’s shown that same strength, resilience and unwavering courage.

Taylor, founder of Legacy MS Magazine, an author, songwriter, choreographer and line dancer, finished an associate degree in business during treatment at the Cancer Center and Research Institute at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. The first in her family to complete a degree, Taylor plans to put her business knowledge to use in her publishing ventures.

“I’m a hard worker and very determined,” she said.

Desmoid tumors are benign tumors that grow aggressively from connective tissue. For every 1 million people worldwide, four or fewer are diagnosed with desmoid tumors.

Taylor’s steely determination grew from profound loss. At 3, Taylor lost her mother. Her paternal grandmother, Gloria Taylor, raised her, becoming her foundation, protector and guiding light. Growing up in a large, blended family with 12 siblings, she grew up quickly, leaning on faith, inner strength and the values her grandmother instilled in her.

When she was 11, Taylor arrived in Jackson from New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, going on to adjust to life in Mississippi and graduate from Wingfield High.

At 14, she began to develop tumors on her hand.

“They would be surgically removed and then return,” she said.

“Chantal has been dealing with her desmoid tumors of the hand, wrist and shoulder since she was a teenager,” said Dr. Jennifer Barr, associate professor of orthopaedic surgery. “While not malignant, desmoids are aggressive and painful. If they are in the abdomen, they can be life-threatening.”

Since desmoid tumors feed on estrogen, they can grow larger during pregnancy, which Taylor experienced on her wrist and humerus, the long bone in her upper arm, Barr said.

“We try not to operate on these tumors unless necessary,” she said. “They are notorious for local recurrence, and when they do recur, they can be larger than the index tumor.”

Taylor’s desmoid tumors were treated with surgeries as well as radiation and chemotherapy, and she also battled depression that followed her into adulthood and motherhood.

Taylor, mother of Jayden, 14, Logan, 11, and Micah, 6, struggled with each pregnancy. “With my last baby, I nearly died,” she said. She also faced domestic violence and homelessness while battling her condition but continues to create.

“It’s how I cope,” she said. “This journey is different for everyone. I get depressed at times when I want the pain to stop or there are things I want to do but can’t.”

In 2021, Taylor founded Legacy MS magazine, interviewing greats in the southern soul genre. Out of necessity, she mastered graphic design, website development, proofreading and branding, building her business from the ground up.

Writing continues to be an outlet for expression for Taylor, who penned and published digital novels.

She experienced a devastating loss during the pandemic, losing her grandmother to COVID-19. “She was my anchor and safe place,” she said.

Still, she pressed forward, enrolling in online college courses.

“At first, I wanted to study pre-law, but business would help me as an entrepreneur,” she said.

In 2025, Taylor’s hard work paid off, as she earned an associate’s degree in business from the University of Phoenix with a 4.0 grade-point average.

“It was hard,” she said. “There were multiple surgeries and times I didn’t have an income. When I found out I had a 4.0, I couldn’t believe it. After all I went through, I refused to let circumstances define my destiny.”

Dr. Clark Henegan, CCRI associate director of clinical research and an associate professor of hematology and oncology, said he’s marveled at Taylor’s perseverance and positive attitude.

“During nine years of care, she has unfortunately at times experienced setbacks and side effects, yet her positive attitude toward her life and her health continues to be evident,” he said. “It also strikes me that, because she has been coming to UMMC for her care for nearly nine years that she has met many providers as fellows who have moved on in their medical careers. A part of the care they deliver today was influenced by their interactions with her.”

Today, Taylor says she has plenty of reasons to give thanks. She and her sons have a home in Jackson and, in mid-2025, she was told her cancer is gone.

She continues to see UMMC specialists in oncology and pain management while developing her businesses and creative outlets, which now range from a podcast to organic skincare.

“I’ve been through loss, illness, depression and some really hard seasons, but I don’t let those moments define me,” Taylor said. “Pain can become purpose. I’m not what I survived – I'm what I am building after.”