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My Mother, Pat Stewart ~ a SURVIVOR, with my son, Jared
In April of 1999, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Cancer? In our family? What happened? Why Mom? Where on earth did it come from? And the questions went on from there. As a person who has a panic disorder (which, bottom line, means that I get scared of things that I have no control over ... tornadoes, plane flights, my husband's driving), I knew that I had to do something myself to support her and try to get a handle on this *new* thing our family was experiencing. My good friend, Lisa, told me about this new event called a 3-Day and invited me to go with her to a meeting about it. The introductory video hadn't even ended and I was scrambling for my checkbook looking around all teary-eyed for the person who would enlist me in an event that would change my life forever. That year, my mother's diagnosis was my sole inspiration for embarking on an incredible journey. Lisa and I signed up to walk 60 miles in the FIRST Atlanta Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day. I knew it was going to be hard, but I really wanted to do something that would challenge me as much as breast cancer was challenging my mother. As I trained, visited my mother and spoke with many, I learned how severely widespread this disease really is. I was not only walking in my mother's honor ... but I was walking to raise money for the millions of other women who are and will be affected with this cancer.
I signed up to do it all again the next year at the Closing Ceremonies! Something had to be done, and I wanted to be part of that something. Year after year, I have walked and/or crewed (520 event miles ~ whew!) and talked (power of persuasion ~ hey, for every person I have gotten to join me in this journey, that's even MORE money to go toward awareness and early detection support funds. Yea!) and have raised almost $20,000 to go toward awareness and early detection of breast cancer. But, you see ... I want to do more.
Over the past few years, I have discovered so many other women in my life who have had or do have breast cancer. Each year, I began walking for more and more women. I made INSPIRATIONAL honorary T-shirts to wear throughout these events. On the front, I placed the names of all the women I have come into contact with, directly or indirectly, who have been affected by this horrible disease ... physical and/or spiritual SURVIVORS. On the back, I placed the names of all my wonderful sponsors. My thinking was ... that if I was to ever get tired or bored (not possible), that I would be able to look down and see all the many reasons for which I was walking. I didn't get tired or bored ... but I did look at my shirts often.
It is now 8 years after my mother's diagnosis (yea!) and my journey has taken a different direction. I want to help to give women everywhere what my mother had ... A FIGHTING CHANCE!!
So, in 2005 I started creating my own jewelry and other pink ribbon items in order to raise even more $$$ for this amazing cause. And 80% of my profits will go toward breast cancer research ... via Avon Walk for Breast Cancer or Susan G. Komen 3Day donations! How cool is that?!?! Together, we can make a difference!! I am so excited about this! Please, take the time to browse through my site to see if anything interests you and be sure to forward it on to others.
Let's annihilate breast cancer!!!
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