Be bold. Be fearless. Be more.
As soon as I found out that I was diagnosed with breast cancer I knew that this race was a must do! In the back of my mind, I questioned myself if I’d feel like it and be well enough to even participate after several rounds of rough chemo. When I saw that Clemson and Carolina were both playing away games, that was a sign that this race would have an even better turn out. So many of my friends and family came and were able to walk beside me on this special day, and alongside others walking in honor or memory of their loved ones too. As over 5,000 people gathered downtown Greenville, the streets turned pink in color as many dressed up to support the cause. Tons of money was raised to help find a cure for this nasty disease.
We arrived early setting up a tent/meeting place for my tribe with the prettiest sign, biggest cactus ever, and tons of yummy breakfast treats! The survivor ceremony followed and had us line up based on how many months/years we’d be diagnosed or considered a survivor. I was honored to hold the sign for under 1 year, but as I saw the line grow and the women who are still living and strong enough to walk/run in a race after over 40+ years, the tears just fell. Ugly tears. I just couldn’t get it together. And then seeing my parents in the stands and many others cheering us all on, I cannot even tell you the emotions that were running through my body. Many gathered at our tent before the race and afterwards to chat and share their race stories. Jeremy, Jett, and I signed up for the 1 mile fun run because I truly didn’t know if I’d be able to even do a mile. While reading a devotional the other day, it said that in whatever crisis we face, we can always run to God to help, praise Him as we wait, and then be confident in His INFINITE care for us. And that’s what I did. I prayed that God would give me the strength to get me to that finish line. And I praised Him when I got there. It was almost like God’s cool breath came over me when I went through the pink balloon arch and was handed my medal. Unfortunately, the race routes were not marked well, and Jett and Jeremy took off ahead of us and ended up doing the 5k. Yes! Jett did the 5k and was so proud of himself! His daddy was pretty proud too! Seeing them cross the finish line was a tear jerker too!. The “kids for the cure” medal Jett was given made him smile from ear to ear and he insisted on taking it to school the next day to show his teacher. When the race was done and it was time to go home, I literally collapsed in the car with such a happy, tired heart, seeing the people of Greenville show tons of love for the current fighters, the survivors, and the ones already taken. Thanks for all those who came and helped make this a successful event to find a cure!
- Because 1 in 8 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.
- Because every 19 seconds, somewhere in the world, a case of breast cancer is diagnosed in a woman.
- Because every 60 seconds, somewhere in the world, someone dies from breast cancer; every 13 minutes, one woman in the U.S. will lose her life to breast cancer.
- Because breast cancer knows no boundaries. It affects people of every age, gender, socio-economic status and location.
- Because at the current rate, 13 million breast cancer deaths will occur around the world in the next 25 years.
So that's that. Live, love, survive! That’s my goal daily.“I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.” Psalm 57:1
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