pink POWER

Many of you know...some of you may still not...that my precious mother, Pat, was diagnosed with breast cancer in December. Of all the storms that have been blown my way in life, this one not only took me by surprise, but completely capsized my boat and left me gasping for air and struggling not to drown in despair. My mother? It could not be possible. She is the strongest person I know. She is invincible. She is the one that is able to outlast us all when it comes to energy and will. She is the glue in our family. She brings us together. She has, is, and will always be there when I need her. She is there for everyone. She does not know the meaning of "selfish". She does not deserve this! I was so sad for her. My heart was broken. I mourned for a few days. And then...I decided...NOPE! NOT MY MOTHER!!! She is going to fight and beat this and I will do it with her! We have rallied, as a family, as friends, and as a community to fight this battle. So many have stepped up to help Mom and Dad make it through these past months by delivering meals, sending gift cards, helping with transportation, and mailing loving cards and packages full of encouragement. We have been so overwhelmed and grateful by the response.

Since December, Mom has endured biopsies, tests, scans, a double mastectomy, 3 rounds of chemotherapy, and the start to her breast reconstruction. She has 3 rounds of chemotherapy to go, physical therapy, and of course, choosing her new set of Ta Ta's! My sister recently saw a t-shirt in a breast cancer boutique that stated, "These are not real...my first pair tried to kill me!" I am definitely getting Mom that shirt once she gets the final implants. And...just 4 days ago, she received amazing news...she will not need radiation after her chemo!! What a blessing! Just what she needed to give her an extra boost of JOY!

Saturday was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure here in Fort Worth. My sister and I decided we were going to fund raise in advance as a surprise to Mom. We each set a goal of $500. I thought that was rather lofty. Yet, as a result of so many generous donations, our goals were not only met, they were doubled! On race day, we presented Mom with a list of all the people who would be "walking" with her and she was completely shocked that so many gave on her behalf. We were able to make a donation to Susan G. Komen in Mom's name for $2050! Unbelievable! We also surprised her by wearing signs that said, "Walking to Cure Pat Roe!" with a picture of her so all could see her beautiful smile. Isaac and Amelia were thrilled to wear Grandma's picture.

Here are some Race Day pictures. It was such an inspiring and empowering experience. I think there were over 20,000 participants. Pink warriors everywhere, rallying to fight breast cancer. Mom and Dad completed the 1 mile Walk together...hand in hand. Lauren, Keith, Amelia, Isaac, and I walked the 5K. (well, Lauren and I walked and Keith pushed Ike and Amelia. way to go honey!) We are already making plans for next year...and the year after...and so on. The fight against breast cancer is one that I will always be willing to support. None of us are safe until there is a cure.