In honor of breast cancer awareness month, I want to share my personal story.
When I was eleven years old, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer; the year was 2004. I will never forget that day. I had just returned from sleep away camp and my mom led me into the living room where we sat in silence for a few minutes before those dreadful words left her mouth and entered my ears. Cancer? I barely knew what cancer was. I could not fathom why this was happening to my loving mother and to our family. My first thoughts were selfish: I was more concerned that there would not be home cooked meals or a spectator mom at my hockey games. I did not think of her pain, her fear, or how brave she would need to be. I watched her come home from her chemotherapy and radiation appointments with a smile and I realized something. Everyday was a gift. Life could change in a flash of second. No one was immune.
We went through this twice and got stronger as a family. We do not take life for granted. It is borrowed time. Try to find joy and happiness in each and every day. Be with people that you love and do the things that you love to do. All we have for sure is the moment and each other.
Last year, I created a documentary about breast cancer, please check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXngZObJ8cI
Some breast cancer statistics:
• In the United States, every 3 minutes someone is diagnosed with breast cancer.
• A woman has a 1 in 8 chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime.
• Approximately 178, 480 women and 2,030 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year.
• More than 40, 500 people will die
• In 2010, there were more than 2.5 million survivors in the U.S.
Here at Lehigh, there are many ways to participate in the events honoring breast cancer awareness month. Men in Pink Calendars that feature men around campus wearing pink are on sale in addition to “Save 2nd Base” t-shirts. Also, on October 29th The American Cancer Society is having their Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5k walk/run. Check out Lehigh University’s Colleges Against Cancer Facebook page for more info. http://www.facebook.com/lehighcac
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Lehigh chapter.