SURVIVOR! 42 years! #SisterhoodoftheTravelingPinkSweater

This is my friend Mary.

Mary is a 42-year survivor of breast cancer. That, of course, is not how I got to know Mary.

Mary was Charlie's preschool teacher when he was 4 years old. Then she babysat for my kids one summer. When she was changing jobs, I helped her with her resume. And from there, we became friends.

She is funny and sarcastic and like a member of the family to us. And, most importantly for this post, she is tiny enough to fit into the pink sweater.

I am blogging tonight as part of the #SisterhoodoftheTravelingPinkSweater, a project that brings awareness to the cause of breast cancer.

Through this project different bloggers will wear (or style) the vintage pink sweater that Mary is wearing. It once belonged to the first resident of Riley Towers in Indianapolis!

Back to Mary. She was just 21, a newlywed, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She said her cancer was caught at the earliest stage the doctor had ever seen. She underwent a radical mastectomy and was cancer free. I asked Mary if she ever thinks about her own breast cancer.

"It was such a long time ago," she said. "I almost forgot I had it."

Maybe you know someone who fought breast cancer. Maybe it's something you can forget. Maybe  you think Mary is just too fashionable to be ignored. Read on...

You can be a part of the #SisterhoodoftheTravelingPinkSweater project in several ways:

1. Visit the #SisterhoodoftheTravelingPinkSweater website and read more of the stories that have been contributed.
2. While you are at the website, make a donation to the Pink Ribbon Connection, a local organization that provides underserved women emotional support, bras, wigs, prostheses, and education needed during breast cancer diagnosis, care and recovery.
3.  Say a prayer of thanksgiving that Mary -- and thousands of other women -- are still here today despite their breast cancer fight. Then say a prayer of remembrance for those who found their cure on the other side of life.

I'm pleased to introduce the next woman to enter the #SisterhoodoftheTravelingPinkSweater, my friend Nikki Capshaw. She is a single mother of three, a certified medical assistant and one of the hardest-working people I know. You can learn more about Nikki at Domestically Single.

Going pink

I know that I'm usually all about Going Red for women, but today I want to show a little love those who will be going pink for the 20th Annual Indianapolis Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. The race to support breast cancer research and those battling the disease will take place on Saturday. I'll be in Fort Wayne for the Vera Bradley sale, so I won't be able to attend. But:

• my friend Liz from Eternal Lizdom will be running,
• fellow FitCity Mom blogger Kelly Young is in charge of the whole shibang, (Woohoo! Go Kelly!) and
• a former college classmate, Brenda Bishop, asked if I would post an article about what some folks in her office are doing to support this year's race -- and the women in their office who are breast cancer survivors.

I decided one way to show my support would be to give up a little blog space for Brenda's post. So, without further ado...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For nearly 140 professors, staff and friends of the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis(located on the IUPUI campus), the central Indiana Race for the Cure is about more than raising money for breast cancer research and support services. It’s an opportunity to help carry the weight of a disease that punches you in the stomach and turns your life upside down.

The 2011 Kelley Indianapolis team walks in honor of five faculty and staff members, including Barb Hassell and Angie Meyer, who are celebrating life and encouraging women of all ages to engage in breast health screenings.

“When I was diagnosed with cancer, I felt like someone hit me in the stomach. It took some time, but now I can hear the word cancer and not lose my breath,” says Hassell, a clinical associate professor of management at Kelley. “Having a network of supporters, even 15 years after my diagnosis and recovery, makes all the difference.”

Race for the Cure is a platform for tens of thousands to make a difference; it’s also a celebration of faith, perseverance and life.

“Shortly after my breast cancer surgery in February 2009, I learned I didn’t have to undergo chemotherapy nor radiation,” says Meyer. “I was feeling very blessed and wanted to celebrate. I had heard how Race for the Cure is a celebration, so I invited my family, friends and co-workers to join the Kelley Indianapolis team.”

Meyer, who is associate director of Kelley’s Career Planning Office, knows personally how fundraising through Race for the Cure impacts women and men diagnosed with breast cancer. Because of research conducted five years before her diagnosis, doctors discovered a better way to treat her kind of cancer.

“Had I been diagnosed in 2004, it’s likely I would have had chemo in addition to surgery. It’s amazing how far breast cancer treatment is advancing because of research. Maybe in the next five years, a woman with breast cancer won’t have to endure surgery,” she says.

By walking, by running or even by sleeping in for a cure, the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis is raising money and raising hope for breast cancer research and support services.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

If you've never participated in the Race for the Cure, I recommend going to see the Pink Parade of Survivors. Don't forget the Kleenex. If you aren't in Indianapolis, you can find a Race for the Cure in your area by clicking here.