The question most frequently asked of volunteers and donors is “How did you get involved in the fight against breast cancer?” Every person who has joined the fight against breast cancer has a personal story to share and these shared stories allow us to feel closer to each other as we work together in this fight. My story began with my grandmother.
When I was young my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. After surgery she seemed to get better and long surpassed the life expectancy that the doctors had given her. Sadly, eventually the cancer came back, and she grew sicker and sicker. She eventually had to go into a care facility when her illness became too much, and she was no longer able to care for herself. When I was a Junior in High School, I went to her facility to show her my Homecoming dress because I knew it was something that would make her happy. My grandmother was gone before I ever had a chance to show her my Junior Prom dress seven months later. Three of my cousins and my nephew never got to meet her or hear her sing “You Are My Sunshine”, the song she sang as she rocked her grand-babies to sleep.
Unfortunately, my story happens all too often. Too many of our loved ones have been lost to this disease. Being a part of the fight against breast cancer makes me feel like I am doing something to honor my grandmother, the great-aunts I never met, friends and their family members, and way too many of your loved ones. One in eight women is still being diagnosed with breast cancer each year.
But there is hope! Due to the advancements that have been made in education, early diagnosis, and treatment, more of those diagnosed with breast cancer are surviving than ever before. Over 90% of those diagnosed with breast cancer early are surviving, and over 3 million survivors will celebrate another birthday this year in the United States.
Working with the Placer Breast Cancer Foundation has given me an opportunity to be a part of working to create this hope. Our push for education and research is helping to make a change, and the study that your generous donations and our fundraising are helping to support is making a difference in the diagnosis and survival of so many.
If you would like to learn more about the study that we are funding, please read: Funding Goal. To learn more about our history and our successes, please click here.
The Placer Breast Cancer Foundation thanks you for your ongoing support! With you, we can continue to make a difference. The strength of our combined stories allows us to form a bond more powerful than ourselves, picks us up when we feel like we may not be making a difference, and makes us smile when there may be sadness. We wouldn’t be able to make a difference without all of you!
If you would like to learn more about our events and how you can help, please visit our website at www.wethinkpink.org.
Recent Comments