The summer before my senior year of high school, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. I remember feeling terrified and then completely numb. No one else in my family had had cancer and at that point, I was lucky enough to never have lost someone I was close to. I was scared that I would lose her and I felt helpless. At age seventeen, on the brink of beginning my own life, I was frozen by the thought of losing the very person who had given me life, nurtured me and taught me what it meant to be an incredible woman.
Now, over seven years later, I am so happy to say that my mother is healthy and has been cancer free for years. A diagnosis is not the end, it's the beginning of a journey for these women and for those who love them. There are many wonderful institutions, hospitals, non profits and support groups that help patients and families through this journey through the sunny days and the dark ones, too.
One such organization is the American Cancer Society. For the past six years, I have walked in the American Cancer Society's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk which brings together thousands of men and women to support an incredible cause, build awareness and share their stories, support and strength. I feel so honored and grateful to have my mother there with me, walking by my side, each year.
If you know someone who has been affected by breast cancer, you know how important it is for the research toward finding a cure to continue and progress.
Please support the American Cancer Society by helping me reach my fundraising goal for this year's walk.
Click here to donate, or if you're in the Boston area, join my team. I'd love to have you!
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