By Heather Bennett Eye
After a cancer diagnosis this past winter, local resident Naomi Alvarado found that the community she poured herself into was there to hold her up, and she learned what it meant to slow down.
In 2013, Naomi and her husband Chris, decided it was time to find somewhere quiet to live after welcoming their son Hayden into the world. They decided to move to Freeport, which was different than what they were used to south of the bay in Santa Rosa Beach. Back then, Freeport only had a co-op grocery store, a Dollar General, and two stop lights.
“Over time I just grew to love this little town,” said Naomi. “Our son has special needs, and just seeing the way that the town has embraced him, and how sweet everybody is with him, it’s just obviously meant a whole lot to us,” she added.
Naomi has done a lot over the years to support herself, her family and local communities. She was a freelance writer, contributing blogs to Destin 30A Moms and articles for VIE Magazine. She also spent time curating events for Southern Sound Music Alliance and booking shows for her husband Chris, a talented local musician. “Every few years, it’s like, oh, let’s do something else. Let’s just see what else kind of speaks to me,” she said. “That’s the fun of it, though. You don’t have to setting for one story in your life.”
There was one job that holds a special place in her heart. In 2023, she became involved in the Freeport Merchants Association (FMA), which is like our chamber of commerce. It’s a network of local business in Freeport, or who service Freeport residents. The FMA has networking events, like evening socials and breakfast meetings, and it’s a great way to meet other business owners. “It’s my favorite thing I’ve done,” said Naomi. “Being a part of the community as it grows, has been a really special, unique experience.”
Naomi has been the events chair for the FMA for the last couple of years, but this year she’s had to take a step back to focus on her health after her cancer diagnosis in February. For someone who describes herself as go, go, go, the slower pace has been an unexpected gift. “Nothing would have made me slow down other than this,” she said.
Looking back, Naomi says the warning signs were easy to explain away. She was working out. That could have contributed to her weight loss or shoulder pain. It was one morning she woke up looking jaundiced, that she knew something was wrong, and Chris urged her to go to the hospital.
Within a couple of hours, an ultrasound revealed masses. Her liver was covered in tumors, and she was headed toward liver failure. “Things went from zero to 100 very quickly,” she said.
One of Naomi’s first worries was logistics. Would she have to travel for treatment, and what would that mean for Hayden and Chris? Instead, she found excellent care close to home. She has nothing but praise for her team at Sacred Heart in Santa Rosa Beach. “Nobody’s super pumped about going to chemo,” she said. “But the team there, it felt like a warm hug. This is a safe spot for me to be right now, and I can take this off my mental load for a couple of hours.”
Just as Naomi supported Freeport, support for her came full circle. Hammock Bay and the FMA held a fundraising event for Naomi and her family this spring. “The response from the community was just mind-blowing,” she said. “It made me feel like, okay, we’re going to be fine. We’re going to get through this. We got lucky that people have been so generous and supportive as they have been.”
In September, she was able to ring the bell for her last chemo treatment. Throughout the year, she has spent more time at home with Chris and her son. “Things feel different. They just feel a little more like you can appreciate them in a different way.”
Naomi’s advice is to always keep up with yearly checkups. “It has to be a non-negotiable, which is hard for women, especially moms. If you’re going to be on the phone to cancel the appointment, stay on the phone to reschedule, just so it doesn’t get lost in the mix.”
If anyone is going through a cancer diagnosis and needs someone to talk to, who knows what it’s like, Naomi, in her true giving fashion, is here to support you. “I’m always happy to be an ear or a shoulder if I can.”
If you’d like to reach out to Naomi, you can contact her at naomi.d.rogers@gmail.com.
