I have run this race for the past 4 years on the Albany Law School team.

When the Susan J. Komen organization pulled the plug on financial contributions to Planned Parenthood (although they did change their mind), Albany Law School decided not to support this cause and not to sponsor a team for the race.

I still feel strongly about finding a cure for breast cancer. It is very dear to my heart as I said last year.  The photo below shows 8 of my friends who are breast cancer survivors.

Since last year, another one of my quilting friends, Mary, has been diagnosed and is currently undergoing treatment.

Mary is on the right

This year I am running the race on the AHN team.  I taught French there for 22 years and their team is running in honor of  a woman who went to AHN and also graduated from Albany Law School, where I currently work. Here’s her story:

At age 25, Erin’s life changed when she was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer after a self exam discovered a lump. She had just graduated from law school and never thought her life would take the direction it did. Her father told her, “Even though it’s your body with the cancer, we all have cancer now and we will fight this together.”
After many unsuccessful surgeries to remove the cancerous cells Erin decided to go ahead with chemotherapy treatments. “My family and I were devastated but would not let this beat us.  I did not want cancer to define who I was. I was a young woman with cancer, not just a cancer patient. I wanted to live my life as normal as possible. And to my surprise, there was a way to make that possible.”  Erin’s father had come across a newspaper article about a local woman who just ended chemotherapy and used Cold Cap Therapy. Invented in London, it is not yet approved by the FDA so Erin is only the 47th person in US to use procedure.  Cold icepack-like hats wrap around the entire head to freeze the hair follicles during chemotherapy. The theory is that chemotherapy attacks fast growing cells and hair falls out because it is one of the fastest growing cells in the body. Hair cells/follicles are frozen, protecting them from the chemotherapy drugs.  It is a very painful procedure as the cold ice packs reaching -15 to -26.  The hats had to be changed every half hour to keep the follicles at the right temperature. Erin had a team of family members helping with the cold cap therapy during and after the chemotherapy treatment.  Her entire immediate family and wonderful husband would care for her after the treatments on a daily basis; whether it was rubbing her feet or just sitting with her while she was too weak to move.  Her hair thinned but she could go out in public without the cancer defining her. “I did not want to look like cancer beat me.  If I looked strong it helped me feel strong.”

After 16 long weeks of chemotherapy, she had a successful surgery to remove the remaining cancer cells.  Next step was 34 radiation treatments. For precautionary purposes, she will need to take a chemo pill everyday for five years. She has already hit the two year mark and is hopeful that she will be cured forever.

After completing all of her treatments, Erin and her husband Blair both sat for the NYS Bar Exam and both passed! “After my cancer battle, I did not know if I had enough strength to pass the exam but, I did not let cancer win. I want others to know that it will not defeat you if you fight. Every step of the way, I fought, my family fought.  Through the pain, the heartache, and the life changes, we cannot become defeated.  I am now married to my biggest supporter, expecting a baby early next year, and a working attorney.  My life was derailed but with support, strength, and faith we can overcome!” 

This is a huge race.  You don’t run it for a PR.  You just do it to feel good.

Happy Running!  Have you ever run in the Race for the Cure?