CLYDE — Johanna Dewees is a hugger. That's one of the first things her patients learn about her. They quickly find out she's also an expert on medications and Medicare, a de facto personal assistant, a cheerleader and a shoulder to cry on. Dewees is one of two nurse navigators for breast cancer patients at MedWest-Haywood — which means she's basically whatever her patients need to her to be.

As she put it,"There is no job too big or too small for a navigator."

The Sylva native has one of those jobs most people don't even know about. If you do, then you probably also know how much it matters. She's a personal guide through breast cancer, and her free sherpa services start the moment the threat of cancer is detected. Often, Dewees is with a patient from the time she (and sometimes he) gets a ...