OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Beth Green always dreamed of giving victims a voice through law enforcement, now she’s learned the power of words for those facing a different struggle.  

“I have wanted to be a cop since I was like 2 years old,” she said. “My family thought I was insane and they prayed I’d grow out of it and it just stuck.”

That two-year-old’s persistence helped make her dream come true. Capt. Green has spent two decades in law enforcement and is currently a special agent in charge with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

“I always wanted to help people and give victims that don’t have voices a voice,” Green said.

But now – she’s a voice for those battling breast cancer.

“I’m not going to downplay this, it’s hard in today’s society to have no breasts and no hair and it’s really easy to look at yourself and say ‘I’m not beautiful,’ but I consciously had to reframe that in my mind,” said Green.

At just 40 years old, Green was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ after her annual mammogram on September 2nd of 2020. Breast Cancer.

20 days after that annual mammogram, Beth had a double mastectomy.

“Once you find out that there’s cancer inside of you, you can’t get it out quick enough,” she said.

But it didn’t end there.

Doctors – telling her she also had invasive, triple-positive breast cancer – meaning further therapy was needed.

All this – while working full-time for the OSBI, pursuing her PhD and teaching at Oklahoma Christian University.

“It was a shock but I tell my students every time you’re faced with a challenge it’s also a new opportunity,” said Green, who found the opportunity to encourage others on social media. “Get your mammograms, get your mammograms. Listen to your body.”

She also decided to not let cancer control her life

Her friends – supporting her as she preemptively shaved her hair – before chemo could take it.

“The first trim, that was hard but she took the power back and that’s pretty amazing,” said Brook Arbeitman, who works with Green at the OSBI.

Green, once again sharing her experience – and new look – on social media.

She’s wrapped up chemo but still has other treatments ahead.

While it’s a long road, Green says thankful for the lessons learned as she beats this disease.

“My body is thriving so that I can see my nieces and nephews grow up and so that I can continue the career that I love and continue teaching and affecting the next generation of police officers and students and stuff like that,” she said. “That’s a body to be proud of, no matter what it looks like.”

Her messages of positivity – reaching and inspiring tens of thousands of others in the same battle.

“My scars are not ugly,” said Green. “They’re reminders of when life tried to knock me down and I got back up. Give yourself a break. Everybody give yourself a break and let’s focus on what’s really important and not beating ourselves up.”