Pink Heroes - A plan of action to find a cure

Friday, October 1st is the start of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

In ONE MORE DAY a whole month is dedicated to help raise awareness and money to find a cure.

If I had a mega phone I would shout it from the top of the Montauk Lighthouse so that every single person on Long Island could hear.. and I would yell so loud that my voice carried over to Connecticut, and down to Florida, and over to California. 

We need to find a cure.
I say WE because so many, let me rephrase that, WAY TOO MANY are suffering from Breast Cancer.  And WE as a collective force can help raise awareness and money to beat this awful disease. 

Am I preaching? Maybe.  But you see my Mom has Stage 4 Breast Cancer. 

I cannot come to terms with it no matter how hard I try. 

What can I do?  Because I can't cure my Mom no matter how much I beg God.

I will walk.  On October 17th 2010 I will walk with my Mom, and my sisters.  I will walk with other families that know someone with the disease.  With the amazing donations from my friends and family I have almost $400 to give the American Cancer Society. 

But I will not stop there.  For the entire month of October I am donating 10% of every session fee I collect. At the end of the month I will send a check to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.  It may not be a ton of money, but every cent given counts.

In November I will be participating in an event called Images for a Cure: Photographers uniting for a common cause.  The goal:  "We will unite our talents to contribute one day of session fees in support of breast cancer research. 100% of all session fees collected on this date will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®. We are hopeful, that with your support we will find a cure in our lifetime."

My friend Kim who owns Flexx Appeal Pilates studio near me is hosting an event on October 21st.  It will be a fundraiser and any proceeds she collects is going to the Breast Cancer Research Association.  If you are on Long Island, stop down and say hello because I will be there supporting her and you can maybe win a prize!

And last but soooo not least....

My very darling, sweet, talented friend Rachel is also going Pink next month.  Her blog A Southern Fairytale along with her friend Tricia at Once a Month Mom are pulling together an amazing project.  They are gathering stories and recipes celebrating "someone who has fought with, is living with, is kicking cancer’s ass, has lost the fight"…They will be posting one recipe and story every single day in October.  They will then take all the stories and recipes and create a book.  The book will created for others to purchase and every single dollar will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

I will share my story, as a daugther watching her Mom fight.  I am sharing my favorite recipe that my Mom makes that my sisters and I fight over.  Then when the book is ready, I will purchase a copy for my mom and I. 

A cure needs to happen. Now.  Because of her.

Because she has so much to live for:
(our family last November)

And I can't live without her.

Meet Christine - a Survivor, a Fighter & a Walk

Breast Cancer.
I cannot say the word without getting annoyed.
Some of you may know the battle my own Mom fights.
Stage 4.  My Mom.  It never stops hurting when I say it.

But if you talk to my Mom you would never know how hard the battle has been because she is determined to live life. 

I have been apart of a network called Think Pink Photography.  The network helps breast cancer survivors and their supporters to celebrate life with charitable photography sessions.  Their site is currently down, however, I am still participating in this organization because of how closely affected I am to this awful disease.

A few weeks ago while I was on vacation with my Mom and boys I received a request from Christine.  Christine wrote "I am a breast cancer survivor still going through radiation treatment (following surgery and chemo) and want to get a photo of me the way I am now - not quite completely bald anymore but pretty close to it! I have been documenting this journey in a blog, and I would love to get some photos to complete this terrible and wonderful journey I have been on. Thank you. Chris "

I was able to share with my Mom immediatley about the inquiry and she was and is so supportive of anyone that can stare down the evil and give it the finger. 

Please allow me to introduce Christine... She is a Sister, a loyal friend, a talented actress, and can make you feel as if you have known her forever in an instant.  (She is even great at ditching the cops!! hhaha right Chris? )

We had so many laughs together.  Real laughs.  And we talked.  Talked about the horror of chemo.  We both shared stories, me of my Mom, her of her own experience.

Now meet the fighter.  The woman that has endured so much in her life was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer earlier this year. 



There needs to be a cure.  There HAS to be a cure.  SOON.  On October 17th, 2010 at Jones Beach, NY I will be walking for my Mom.  For my Aunt.  For my best friends Mom. And for Christine.  And for every Mom, Sister, Grandmother, friend, Aunt, cousin that you know that is suffering for the disease. 

When I set the goal for $100 I thought it was a little high.  With the economy like it is, it was hard for me to ask for donations.  But when I did I was BLOWN away.  Have I mentioned I have the most amazing friends and family in the WORLD?  I have raised nearly $400 so far and I still have about 60 days left to raise money to help find a cure.

You can watch my video here :  MY BREAST CANCER TEAM PAGE

I want to thank Christine for contacting me.  You have touched my life with your story.  You are a soulful person with so much personality.  I truly hope you see how beautiful you are in these portraits!!

THANK YOU AGAIN!