Rona Gandy

Survivor

One of my most vivid memories of the days after my diagnosis of breast cancer was the sadness and sorrow in the eyes of the health care professionals. There seemed to be no hope alive in anyone for this disease.

Although at that time one rarely spoke the “cancer” word, much less prefaced it with “breast,” I knew of several very dynamic and alive people who had moved their lives forward for up to 20 years (and still going) after diagnosis. These are the people I called. And these are the people who gave me HOPE.

With hope I could take charge of my life. With hope I moved forward.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure became a key component in building my HOPE for survivors of this disease. Instead of sorrow in the eyes of the researchers at Komen Mission conferences, I found excitement and enthusiasm as they made new discoveries, new links that gained the world a little more understanding of breast cancer— and brought us a little closer to the cure.

Instead of sorrow in the eyes of survivors and volunteers at Komen activities, I find determination and dedication— JOY at what has been accomplished (more public knowledge of breast cancer, early detection, survivors moving forward into long lives), and always HOPE, sure in the knowledge that we are on the way to finding the CURE.