IN 2010 I SIGNED UP THE FIRST TIME TO WALK IN THE SUSAN G. KOMEN 3-DAY®. I DECIDED TO DO THIS AS A CELEBRATION OF MY MOTHER, THELMA HARPER'S, 20 YEARS ANNIVERSARY AS A SURVIVOR OF BREAST CANCER. BUT THIS BECAME MORE THAN JUST A CELEBRATION, IT BECAME A WAY OF LIFE FOR ME. I WANTED TO DO WHAT I COULD TO HELP THE FIGHT AGAINST BREAST CANCER FOR ME AND THE OTHER WOMEN IN MY LIFE. SUSAN G KOMEN 3DAY BECAME A PART OF ME. I WORE THE PINK RIBBONS AND ALMOST EVERY GIFT I RECEIVED WAS PINK AND HAD THE WELL KNOWN PINK RIBBON ON IT. I LOVED IT AND I LOVED THAT MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY ASSOCIATED ME WITH THE CAUSE. IN 2012 I MARRIED JEFF GRIFFIN AND HIS MOTHER, KATINA DUNCAN, WAS A 2 YEAR SURVIVOR AT THAT TIME. SO MY REASONS BECAME EVEN STRONGER TO FIGHT AND FIND THE CURE. I HAVE A DAUGHTER, TWO STEP DAUGHTERS, TWO GRANDDAUGHTERS, TWO SISTERS AND A SISTER-IN-LAW AND MANY MANY NIECES, AUNTS, COUSINS AND FRIENDS THAT DESERVE A LIFETIME. MY MOTHER PASSED LAST YEAR BUT CELEBRATED 33 YEARS WITHOUT CANCER AND MY MOTHER-IN-LAW IS CELEBRATING 13 YEARS AS A SURVIVOR. I AM SO PROUD OF THEM AND IF I CAN DO ANYTHING TO HELP EVEN ONE WOMEN FROM GOING THROUGH WHAT THEY WENT THROUGH, IT IS ALL WORTH IT. BREAST CANCER CHANGED THEIR LIVES AND NOT FOR THE BETTER. THEY SUFFERED, IN PAIN, EMBARRASSED AND AFRAID OF WHAT CANCER HAD DONE TO THEIR BODIES AND THEIR MINDS. IT CHANGED THEM. NO MATTER HOW MANY FAMILY AND FRIENDS WERE THERE, THEY FELT ALONE AND SCARED. IN 1989 WHEN MOM WAS DIAGNOSED, DOCTORS DIDN’T KNOW A WHOLE LOT ABOUT BREAST CANCER. HER TREATMENT WAS A RADICAL MASTECTOMY WHERE THE BREAST, THE TOP LAYER OF MUSCLE AND ALL THE LYMPH GLANDS WERE REMOVED THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS. BECAUSE THAT SURGERY WAS SO DEVASTATING SHE COULDN’T FACE HAVING THE RECONSTRUCTION SURGERY DONE. MY MOTHER-IN-LAW HAD HER SURGERY IN AUGUST 2010. THEN TO FOLLOW WERE 66 RADIATION TREATMENTS. THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED. SHE COMPLETED THEM IN NOVEMBER 2010. SHE HAD RECONSTRUCTION SURGERY IN FEB 2012. RADIATION TOOK A TOLL ON HER BODY AND HER HEALTH HAS NOT BEEN THE SAME SINCE. THEY DESERVE A LIFETIME TO LIVE AND BE CANCER FREE. I DON'T WANT ANYONE ELSE TO GO THROUGH WHAT THEY DID, SO I WALK.
I WALK WITH A WONDERFUL GOURP OF WOMEN AND MEN, PINK SOLES IN MOTION, WHO HELP AND SUPPOST EACH OTHER, WHO SHARE IN HAPPY AND SAD TIMES AND WE ALL SHARE A DESIRE TO BEAT CANCER IN OUR LIFETIME. THIS YEAR IS MY 11TH WALK AND I'LL BE WALKING IN SAN DIEGO WITH MY TEAM. I HOPE TO CONTINUE THIS FIGHT A LONG AS I'M PHYSICALLY ABLE. WE DO THIS TO RAISE DONATIONS AND AWARENESS TO FIND THE CURE FROM BREAST CANCER. PLEASE SUPPORT ME AS I TAKE ON THIS INCREDIBLE CHALLENGE.
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