In June 2006 my life changed forever.....

2006 was definitely a year to remember for me. Our son Zach was born in May and our life changed for the best! Little did I know that just a month later my mom would be diagnosed with breast cancer and the roller coaster would begin.

In June, my mom called my sisters & I over to her house. We knew she was waiting to get results from some tests run after she found a lump. I remember my sisters & I walking into her living room, she was sitting down trying to remain calm and told us she had breast cancer "in situ". What?!?! I was in a state of complete disbelief, I think numb would be a sufficient word for it. How could this happen to my family? My mom? My best friend? My mom had this great sense of peace, telling us that God was in control and everything would be fine. That was just a tiny bit of her strength that came through that day. Thankfully they thought they had caught it early enough and that it was curable.

The next weeks and months seemed to crawl by. Mom opted for a double mastectomy because of the family history of cancer (my aunt also had breast cancer as well as my grandma lost her battle with cancer in 1992) and it seemed like forever before her surgery was scheduled.

I remember countless times talking to her and while she would cry, wonder why, talk about not seeing her grandchildren grow, her faith NEVER wavered. She just knew everything would turn out according to God's plan. I even remember her telling me in on of our many conversations that she'd been praying that Dr. Renucci was the right plastic surgeon (who she chose) and lo and behold she sees a column in the newspaper about him and his great work. There was her answer....right there in black & white.

Mom went through her mastectomy, reconstruction, and follow up appointments only to be given a clean bill of health - Thank GOD! No radiation and no chemotherapy which was great news! My mom is the strongest and most courageous women I know, and I'm so honored to be her daughter. If I have even one ounce of the courage that she has, well, I'm even more blessed than I ever thought I was!

This cause is near to my heart not only because it directly impacted my family in so many ways, but it is so important for ALL women to be aware of the signs, symptoms, and details of this horrifying disease. Not everyone who is impacted by this disease will be as blessed as my mom was, but with organizations such as the Grand Rapids affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, more research can be done and hopefully, one day, a cure can be found.

I understand that the economy has impacted everyone in some way, shape, or form. If you can donate even $5 to this cause it would be appreciated. Even if you cannot donate (or if you can and still want to) feel free to pass this on to anyone who may be interested.

Your donation is tax deductible. You may donate online with your credit card by clicking the “Support” button. Your support helps us get another step closer to a world without breast cancer.

Your breast health…
The greatest risk factors for breast cancer are being female and growing older. Breast cancer knows no boundary, be it age, gender, socio-economic status or geographic location. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. That’s one in eight within your company, school and organization!

The key to survival is early detection. Three simple steps for early detection are regular mammograms, clinical exams and breast self-exams. And, remember, breast cancer affects more than just the patient; friends and family need support too.

Thank you so much for considering this as it means so much to me!