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My grandmother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2006 and is reaching the end of her battle. Doctors and nurses say they've never seen someone so brave. Even now, unable to eat more than a tablespoon a day, sit up, or speak more than a few words, she's been regaling me with piecemeal stories of her youth, cracking jokes and reminding me that she wants to be wearing lipstick when she goes.
When relatives who visit talk about cancer and when my family pontificates on my grandmother's own fate they often swirl around the permanence of death. Everyone disguises pessimism with pragmatism as they say, "This is it. Things will never be the same." I've been challenging myself to think about what those words mean, and I'm able to spin them around. When I hear someone resolutely tell me my life is going to change, I want the change to be for the better. Change begins with me. I really believe that. That's why I have invited many of my friends to join me for the EIF Revlon Run/Walk. Our team, “The Brandy Manhattanites,” is named after my grandmother's favorite drink - what she said she missed most during chemotherapy. My friends and I believe that as young people living in the biggest city in the country we have a responsibility to do good.
Proceeds raised are part of the reason my grandmother has lived one and a half years and two Christmases past doctors' expectations; they're the reason my youngest cousins know their grandmother.
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Breast cancer is the number one cancer risk for women worldwide. All women are at risk but, by thoughtful lifestyle choices, we can lower our risk. Don’t smoke, think of junk food as poison, eat a healthful diet, and daily exercise are behaviors that reduce risk. But I have known far too many women who do all of these things and still develop cancer. I walk for them. We need to learn more. Diagnosis and treatment need to become more precise. I walk to help bring awareness. I walk to raise money because the advances are expensive.
The spring weather could not be more glorious for an aerobic walk. The beauty of nature makes us glad to be alive. Exercise is good for our body, but exercising outdoors is even better. The benefits of outdoor exercise are well documented: outdoor exercise elevates mood and improves self-esteem. The EIF Revlon Walk/Run celebrates your life and health. I invite my friends and patients to join me on Saturday, May 1st so that our daughters and granddaughters can be safer.
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After having lost my mom – a beautiful mom – to this dreadful disease in the year 2000, my sister and I and our dedicated teammates comprising "Sisters For LIFE" have marched proudly in the EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women in New York. We watched for years as my mom battled cancer progressively in her ovaries, colon, liver, lymph nodes, and ultimately, in her brain. Immediately upon receipt of her initial diagnosis she put on her ARMOR and ATTACKED it head-on for her family and for herself. Mom was committed to living life to the fullest extent she could, and during that time won many small battles against what we've dubbed the "C-demon." Finally, when the cancer moved to her brain, she conceded to her enemy and left this world. We miss our mom's warmth, beauty and compassion tremendously. So much so that we faithfully march in mom's warrior-line manner, fighting this disease head-on so that NO ONE has to lose their mom, sister, aunt, or friend.
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I am a Team Captain for the EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women this year for a team called “Angie’s Spa.” My team and I will be walking and running in memory of Angie Levy. Angie was an alumna of both Emory University and Wharton Business School and worked as a full-time research analyst at JP Morgan. Angie lost a brave and valiant nine-year battle with metastatic breast cancer in November 2007 at the young age of 36. Angie’s Spa was established in memory of Angie Levy and is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization funding hospital programs across the country with the express purpose of providing free therapeutic spa services to cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.
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I am participating in the EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women in the hope of raising funds to find a cure one day soon. In 2006, I lost one of the most important people in my life - my father - to cancer. I walk for all the strength he showed in fighting cancer before he passed away, and to honor his memory and his commitment to always help others.
Following a successful fundraising effort last year with my daughter Pamela and my niece Anthoula, I created the “Morgan Stanley Strides of Hope” team this year and the response has been overwhelming. Employee community engagement is a cornerstone of Morgan Stanley’s culture and the foundation of our charitable efforts. The Morgan Stanley team is made up of Morgan Stanley employees, friends and family members who have all come together to make a difference by raising funds, awareness and hope for future generations, as well as those affected by cancer today. We look forward to proudly walking together in the 2010 EIF REVLON Run/Walk For Women!
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My name is Justine Ciampa. I am thirty-seven years old and on a determined and simple mission. It is a journey that is familiar to many of us involved with the EIF Revlon Run/Walk -- to help make the hardest journey of my life not become a reality for my beautiful five-year old daughter and her peers. So this year, I have reached out to my close support group of my friends and family, and we will walk as part of "Friends For Life." This is to celebrate all the advances that have been made in the research for the cure for cancer, and the hope and knowledge that through efforts and events such as this one, there will be many more advances to come.
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A year ago, I was not able to participate in the EIF Revlon Run/Walk because I was recovering from extensive surgery and chemo after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. My daughter and daughter-in-law organized a team called "No Big Deal" and over 25 people walked in my honor and raised over $5,000.I was humbled beyond words.
I am alive today because of advances in cancer research, great surgeons and a loving family and friends. I am honored to be able to walk this year and thank EIF and Revlon for sponsoring this significant event. It is time for generations to come to be free from this terrible disease. Let’s continue research advances and make cancer "No Big Deal" for real! (This is a picture of the team that walked in my honor - Jimmy Fallon joined them for the photo op!)
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I walk because in 2005, my sister-in-law lost her battle with breast cancer at the age of 39. She was young and she was beautiful, but most importantly, she was a mother. We started Team Avery that year, a month after she had passed away, as a way for her children (then aged 7, 4 and 2 1/2) to honor their mother. Although at the time they did not fully understand what was happening, it was important for them to feel surrounded by love. This year marks our 5th consecutive walk as a team, and although it is not necessarily a date I would like to mark, we will continue to walk every year until there is a cure. The kids are 5 years older and they look forward to this walk more than you could image. They feel the same excitement we all do when the confetti starts and we begin our march to hope. Our team gets bigger every year and we will not stop walking until the day that we are free of this disease and no more children will suffer the loss of a parent.
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I walk because I grew up watching my father fight a 7-year battle with thyroid cancer. After losing him at the age of 16, I knew that I wanted to help others that were undergoing similar struggles. Today I have the great privilege of working with the Psychosocial Oncology Program at the Montefiore-Einstein Cancer Center in the Bronx where we provide support to those affected by cancer. Participating in the annual EIF Revlon Run/Walk is a way for me to contribute to the fight against cancer by raising awareness, supporting our team, and keeping my father’s memory alive.
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Hope does not come easily to a family affected by cancer, but it's what my family has fought to live with since my mom’s diagnosis of stage 4 ovarian cancer in 2008. Hope is seeing her keep her courage and spirits up through rounds of chemo and clinical trials. Hope is in her determination to continue to live her life to the fullest. And hope is in the unwavering love and support of our friends and family over the past two years. I created team “Jan is Awesome” in honor of my mom, but we walk to bring hope to every person who has been affected by cancer. I walk because hope is the one thing cancer cannot and will not take from my family, and I walk because on May 1st my team will be part of making that message heard around the world.
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Participating in the annual EIF Revlon Run/Walk allows me to engage in another opportunity to show my commitment to increasing awareness about cancer in women and raise funds at the same time. As a 25-year survivor of breast cancer, I feel it is my duty to support other women and families fighting cancer. I truly believe that with ongoing research, there will eventually be a cure for cancer, but in the meantime we know that early detection and treatment do have an impact on survival and decreased mortality rates. Through advocacy, fundraising, research, early detection and treatment, we can make a difference. I am proud to be a part of such an exciting event, especially knowing that it will benefit medically underserved women.
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I am participating in the EIF Revlon Run/Walk For Women in memory of two very special people. I lost both my grandmother and my friend Tammy Cavallo Wilson to breast cancer. I never got to know my grandmother because she died before I was born over 40 years ago. I always felt a void in my life because I never got to know her. When I heard of Tammy's passing I decided it was time to get involved. I have always wanted to get more involved with raising cancer awareness. When Tammy passed away on New Year’s Eve, it really hit home. Here was a girl who was my age, had a family, and had a love for life like no other. Cancer took that all away at such an early age. I realized that even 40 years later, people were still dying from this disease. So I joined Team Tammy to help make a difference. Raising funds is my main objective so we may someday find a cure. I hope and wish that I will never have to lose another loved one to cancer.
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