"Busybee" At her best!

Lafayette, La. – She's Always as "Busy as a Bee"

In fact, that's her nickname.

Lafayette native Brenda Andrus gives her all to her family and her community, earning her the distinction of being a "Remarkable Woman."

From cooking meals in her own kitchen for seniors to serving in six organizations, including the Martin Luther King celebration committee, Andrus is all about community.

Every Thursday, she buys, prepares, and serves meals to 75 senior citizens.

Andrus says, "I'm in the community because I just love to volunteer, but I don't do it all by myself. I pick up the phone and call friends, family, and cousins. My sisters are like, 'Brenda, can you give us a break? I mean, like, do you sleep?'"

Andrus was nominated for the Remarkable Woman award by two of her nieces. It's quite fitting, since she is not only dedicated to serving her community but also focused on her family. Andrus says she and her siblings, "Each take a holiday and try to gather our siblings and their kids."

The Lafayette native is one of seven children. She credits her parents with instilling in her a spirit of community service and an independent nature. Her mother died from lupus at the young age of 31. Her father remarried, and her stepmother succumbed to the same disease in 2007.

Andrus recalls the tragic loss, saying, "So that's two moms, same disease."

Because of that, Andrus dedicates much of her time to spreading awareness of lupus, despite her fears. She said, "I was scared to make 30. When I made 30, all of us were afraid, and now we're all in our 50s or so."

But that would not be her only health scare. Andrus says, "At three years old, I had major surgery. I swallowed bubble gum, and I put a straight pin in it." That pin punctured a lung.

"Doctors said it was like a 50/50 chance of removing one of my lungs. God has given me a second chance because the doctor said I had a 50/50 chance at three, and I'm going to be 62."

The damaged lung was successfully removed, but she says that, as a result, she later developed scoliosis, which required major surgery. She survived that as well, deepening her faith and inspiring her to live each day to the fullest.

Andrus says, "Every morning when I wake up, I say, 'Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.'"

She retired in 2011 after a 31-year career with the city of Lafayette. A truly remarkable woman, she gives her all to a mission of uplifting and inspiring others and serving everyone she can, all for the betterment of her community. "It's all about serving the elders, the young ones, whoever is in need," she said.

Andrus is one of the four top women nominated from Acadiana in the "Remarkable Women Campaign." It's a nationwide Nexstar initiative to honor the influence that women have had on public policy, social progress, and the quality of life. Profiles of the top four Acadiana nominees will air on local newscasts every Tuesday, from February 11, 2020, to March 3, 2020, and the nominees will be featured on our website.

On March 6, 2020, one local woman will be announced as our "Remarkable Woman," and that woman will be considered for "Nexstar Woman of the Year." Our area's "Remarkable Woman" will travel to New York City and attend a special reception where television talk show host Mel Robbins will be the featured speaker. The winner will also attend a taping of "The Mel Robbins Show" on Wednesday, March 18, when Ms. Robbins will exclusively announce the "Nexstar Woman of the Year." The show announcing the winner will air during the week of March 23.