Since 2002, my sister Carol and I have been asking for donations and walking 60 miles in 3 days, to support the fight against breast cancer.  After our first walk, we made a promise to each other, and ourselves, that we would continue to walk as long as we could physically do it or until they found a cure.  We never anticipated that we would still be walking 23 years later.    Since I started walking to support this very important cause, I have faced several challenges.  I have had my knee replaced twice, the repair of a tendon in my hip from over use and just recently, abdominal surgery.  Luckily, I’ve always been able to have my surgeries in time to recover and train for my annual walks.  Walking 60 miles is hard; it was hard when I started at the age of 49, and this year I will just have celebrated my 73rd birthday when I start my walk in Dallas, TX on October 25th.  However, what has always gotten me through the difficult times on my walks, is the reminder that what I’m doing is not as hard as fighting breast cancer. 

I certainly believe that one day they will have a cure for breast cancer. Just recently, in an article in the NY Post, I learned that they are in the first stages of a trial for a vaccine.  A group of 35 women, most having triple negative breast cancer, the most lethal form, were given the vaccine.  More than 75% of the women showed a strong immune response.  The vaccine is aimed at both preventing and treating breast cancer which affects one in eight women. It was reported, and I quote: “It’s a very new mechanism and we think if this works and is able to prevent cancer, then we can perhaps eliminate breast cancer as a disease just like we’ve done for polio and various other diseases.” This gives me hope that perhaps I will see a cure in my lifetime!!!

I want to thank all of my faithful supporters; this will be my 32nd walk and many of you have supported me on multiple walks and some from the very beginning!!!  I sincerely hope that you will donate once again.  To those of you that have not yet donated I know that there are many worthy causes, and I’m hoping that you will also consider supporting the fight against breast cancer.  This is a cancer that has touched most of us…if not personally, most of us know someone who has had to face this terrible disease. 

Again, I want to thank all of you for your support.  I am hoping that soon, with our help, a cure will be found and no one will have to hear the words, “You have breast cancer.”

Cynthia