Hello dear family and friends,

I?ve committed to an incredible challenge, and I wanted all of you to be the first to know!  Beginning November 14, 2025, I?ll walk 60 miles in 3 days with hundreds of other people to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® in San Diego.  I've started a team called "Hakuna Ma-Tatas." :)  I can't wait! 

To explain, I chose to do this walk in memory of a beautiful woman, mother, wife, sister, grandmother, aunt, friend, colleague, neighbor, and teacher: Nancy Simonitsch who touched so many of our lives and many children and families working as a special education teacher.  My mom courageously began her journey with breast cancer in her early 60s and then again in her late 70s. She passed away peacefully in November 2022 surrounded by our family at Cape Cod Hospital.  As it turns out, breast cancer runs on both sides of my family.  My paternal aunt has had recurrent breast cancer, and my paternal grandmother also had breast cancer.  Since 2007, I'd had 6 breast cancer scares and was considered high-risk due to our family history, genetic testing, and having dense breasts.  Then I had a significant scare in Summer 2024 when my annual breast MRI, mammogram, and ultrasound detected 3 areas of concern.  All fortunately were benign, and the recommendation was I have testing every 6 months.  Instead, I chose to gain greater control and reduce my chances of having breast cancer by 99% by having a risk-reducing bilateral mastectomy on March 17, 2025 and having reconstructive surgery on June 13, 2025.  As a previvor, I've learned this is quite the journey with the time and energy researching and preparing for the surgeries, becoming confident in my decision, balancing life and work, and recovering slowly but surely. I've had a few complications with lymphedema and sterile folliculitis, but I'm incredibly fortunate overall. Through this journey, I can now truly appreciate the old fable "The Tortoise and the Hare" as I've learned firsthand that slow and steady will indeed finish the race.  I'm incredibly grateful to my wonderful family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, health care providers, and even strangers for the incredible support and love they have kindly given me along this journey.  I'm looking at this 3-day walk as a celebration of both my mother's life and completing my surgeries this year and an opportunity to raise awareness and funds for research, treatments, and therapies.

The reality is that every single one of us is touched by breast cancer in one way or another - whether it be a family member, friend, neighbor, colleague, classmate, or perhaps yourself.  I'm betting right now you can immediately think of someone in your life who has endured their own breast cancer journey. Did you know that more than 313,000 people in the U.S. are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year alone? It?s staggering, and I know my participation in the 3- Day makes a big difference. That's why I've set a goal to raise at least $7,500 to support Komen?s work, and I?m asking for your support.

Will you please make a donation to my 3-Day fundraising page? Any amount would help, and it would mean so much to me, and most importantly, the thousands of people Komen helps each year.  

If you would like to donate, you can click the link at the bottom of this email ? it?s easy, fast and safe. If you don't want to donate online, you can download and print a donation form from my fundraising page and mail it to the address on the form. Or you can call 877 GO KOMEN to donate over the phone. Whichever way you choose to give, I thank you in advance for your generous support.  No doubt, sweet Nancy is cheering everyone on from up above. 

With love and gratitude,

Becca (aka Rebecca :) )