The call came in mid-October. “Would you consider chairing the Benefit Luncheon?” I had promised myself and my family that I would take a year off from any volunteering, but the work the Breast Cancer Alliance does is so important, and I would do almost anything for Lisa Matthews, so the answer was a resounding yes. Call it fate, luck or divine intervention, but that phone call would later prove to be the gateway to an enormous circle of support for me and my family.

 

The scope of my new responsibility was enormous, but I knew instinctively that I had made the right decision. Fortunately for me, I was working alongside two incredibly capable women and dear friends, Mary Helen Holzschuh and Dee Mayberry, and was supported constantly by the Alliance Board and Administration. From the beginning it was clear there was a strong collaboration among the Alliance, physicians and researchers devoted to finding a cure for this disease. Equally, there was a tremendous bond between breast cancer survivors and the countless volunteers devoting their time to making a difference. Despite all the progress made in treating this disease, it is still every woman's fear, including mine, that she will become one of the statistics: the one in eight who will develop breast cancer. I never dreamed it would happen to me, though.

 

In my role as co-chair of the 2009 luncheon, I had the privilege of organizing a group of “Young Survivor Models” to be featured in the fashion show. At first I thought it might be a difficult task to find women under 40 with breast cancer, but as it turned out there were many women who fell into this category. Secretly, I also wondered if a woman with breast cancer would even consider modeling on a runway that stretched out into a sea of hundreds of women…no matter how beautiful the clothes! As I began to make the phone calls, I was struck by how candidly these women spoke of their diagnoses and the enthusiasm they shared in wanting to be a part of the show. They were mothers, wives, daughters and sisters … they were philanthropists, teachers, executives…even marathon runners! All of these women had a unique, but similar story… they had breast cancer and they were not even 40. They inspired me and became in my mind the brave faces of Hope. 

 

I have always taken my health seriously and have never missed my annual mammogram, so when January 2010 rolled around it was time for that dreaded ice-cold squeeze! It was a beautiful day and as I was driving I remember receiving phone calls from my husband and best friends wishing me good luck. That may be the last thing I vividly remember as the rest of the day became a blur.

 

That sunny day in January turned my life upside down. I had become a statistic:   the one in eight! As I left my doctor’s office holding back my tears, I kept having visions of those young survivors strutting down the runway last year and soon they became my true inspiration again…, giving ME hope!

 

The days and weeks that followed seemed easier than I had expected largely due to the people I had met and the knowledge I had gained by being a part of the Breast Cancer Alliance. Two weeks later I had a double mastectomy followed by reconstructive surgery. “Strength through support” really says it all. My doctors, family and friends lifted me up during this period and cocooned me in a blanket of love. They were the reason I was able to soldier on and move forward. I have always been one to look for the silver linings in tough times and my breast cancer diagnosis was no exception. I feel I have so much to be grateful for: 

 

Having been diagnosed in 2010, I am the very lucky recipient of all the great progress that has been achieved by the Alliance and other organizations devoted to curing this disease.

It might sound odd, but there are days when I feel like I am the luckiest girl alive.

 

P.S. My new breasts look pretty good, too!