This was written by Devon Noelle DowneySmith,
    Marketing & Communications Manager
    Komen Oregon and SW Washington

In my five years at Komen I’ve seen some of our most passionate supporters pass away, and have attended their memorial services – two in the last year alone. I have witnessed women in Multnomah County who, without insurance or support, shed tears of gratitude as we explained how we can help them pay their light bill so they don’t have to choose between life’s basic needs and their breast cancer treatment. These moments take me out of my work being merely a job, and remind me of the importance of what we’re doing.

 

Earlier this summer, I received an e-mail from a woman named Michelle, thanking us for all we had done to help her sister, Sheila, throughout her battle with breast cancer. Sheila was originally diagnosed in April 2003 on the same day she gave birth to her youngest daughter. She fought the disease for eight and a half years before finally passing late last year. Michelle attached a photo to her e-mail of her sister with her daughters and nieces at the Race for the Cure. I suddenly realized the woman in this picture was the mother and aunt of the little girls whose photo was from the 2010 Race for the Cure. This simple realization put into clear focus why the work we do is so important.

 

Now, instead of simply seeing a great event photo, I suddenly see little girls who no longer have their mother or aunt. It was a sobering reminder of the urgency of our mission and the importance of having Komen resources available in Oregon and SW Washington. Too many of us have lost our mothers, aunts, sisters, grandmothers and friends. Too many of us have lost someone we love to this disease – someone who made our world brilliant and meaningful, someone whose absence is a heartbreak that will never fully heal, a void that will never be filled. 

 

 

 Here at Komen Oregon/SW Washington we’re removing barriers, providing resources, investing in cutting-edge research to find cures, and providing screening for low-income women. We are the largest provider of these services in Oregon and SW Washington.

Race for the Cure revenue is what fuels our mission. Your participation is essential. I hope you will join us at the 2012 Race for the Cure. Register or make a donation today. Do it for Sheila, do it for her sister, and do it for her daughters who will be walking this year in memory of their mom. Do it for love. Do it for the cure. 

With gratitude,

 

 

 

 

Hello Friends! This year I am "racing" for my friend Tiffany whom many of you have prayed for. She is doing beaurtifully! Support the cure if you can. You can even support us if you sleep in on the day. Love you all and thank you for your support of me in 2009-2010 and now for my friend Tiffany and Louise!

Komen Oregon Race for the Cure®

I have raised $0 for Komen Oregon Race for the Cure® toward the goal of $100.

Support me with a donation