Specializing in You: Kindness, Compassion Help Windy Drake Conquer Her Cancer Fears
July 31, 2026
From the moment the breast biopsy results came back last April, every fear and question rushed over Windy and Thomas Drake. Questions like “How bad is the cancer?” “What would come next?” “What would the life they have built now become?”
In this new world of unknowns, the Drakes are eternally grateful that they found answers, expertise, compassion, kindness, respect, and solace at Memorial Medical Center. Windy underwent a successful mastectomy with General Surgeon Carrie Dieker, MD, on July 1. Now, as she puts the finishing touches on preparing for the new academic year as principal at Las Cruces Catholic School, Windy is overjoyed to report that she is healing well and does not require chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
“Dr. Dieker and her team were just amazing,” Windy said. “I didn’t feel like a number. I’m so thankful that they all listened so much.”
With Windy’s little experience in hospitals and great apprehension about undergoing anesthesia, the Drakes were thrilled that the entire MMC hospital team was equally as caring and accommodating as Dr. Dieker and the Memorial General Surgery Associates clinic staff had been.
“My biggest fear in all of this was coming off the table – the anesthesia,” Windy said. “From the time that we checked in at 6 a.m. to the time we left, every single person we encountered was very kind, amazing, understanding, and they listened.”
“The level of care and kindness that was shown by everyone shows how good this hospital is,” Thomas added. “Needless to say, we are grateful for the care she received and honored to have such a wonderful hospital in our Las Cruces community.”
Both Windy and Tom come from a service industry background, and Thomas is currently the Chef Instructor for the Doña Ana Community College Culinary Arts Program. That background brings them a unique lens to recognize and appreciate outstanding service, which they noticed across all areas and roles at Memorial: from registration, to surgery, to recovery, to floor nursing staff, to support staff, to discharge.
“Each individual was spot-on perfect. Thank you to everyone involved in providing my wife with such a caring experience in her journey,” Thomas said.