Saturday morning, after a late night flight from Vegas, I participated in the Revlon Run/Walk Against Cancer 5K that I wrote about a couple of weeks ago. I again, want to thank everyone for their show of support through their words of encouragement and their donations.
I didn't think that I would get emotional, but seeing the huge turnout of people (men, women, and children of all ages and backgrounds, totaling over 40,000 people) enthusiastically walking and running from Times Square through Central Park was so moving. As my mom and I walked together, we noticed that on some people's backs were homemade signs saying things such as: "I'm a Survivor: 13 Years," "In Memory of...," "In Support of...", and I couldn't help but think of all the women in my life or women with whom I've come in contact over the years, who have all been affected by breast cancer. As I walked and looked at groups of women crying, holding hands in solidarity, hugging each other and reaching out to one another, I got more and more choked up. I began thinking of my grandmother who died and I almost lost it right there on 7th Avenue; my aunt who is a survivor with both of her breasts removed and never batted an eyelash, and all of my friends' mothers who have been diagnosed and/or treated for breast cancer. I walked for them, the memory of them, and in support of them and every woman out there. I am considered a high risk candidate for breast cancer, so I was walking for myself, too.
Listening to Ciara, Jessicas Alba and Biel, Jennifer Connelly and Jimmy Fallon all speak on the subject and how they've been affected by cancer in women, made me want to get up there and speak on it, too! While I was watching them, a group of women came and stood by me, all with t-shirts that read: "Can't We At Least Get Early Detection?" I went up to them and told them that I liked their shirts; their response was to hug me. Again, I almost burst into tears--they were all already crying. But you could see the strength in their eyes and feel the determination in their hearts to make a difference.
If we could all be strong together, what a difference we could really make.
1 comment:
Thank you. My mother died of breast cancer 2 months ago.
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