The day after my daughter?s birthday, I received a call I thought would be just like one I?d gotten 20 years earlier, about another benign growth. Instead, I heard the words I never expected: "you have cancer." I was in utter disbelief. No family history, no genetic markers, how could I, at 50 years old, have breast cancer?

That call came less than a month before my oldest left for his first year at university. To have such joy and heartbreak collide so closely was devastatingly hard, harder than I can ever truly put into words.

Since then, it?s been appointment after appointment, test after test, more than I could have imagined. Even with amazing doctors, insurance, and an incredible support system, this experience has been overwhelming and, at times, deeply isolating. I can?t help but think about the women who face this alone, or who have to choose between time off work, caring for their families, or even accessing basic care.

Right now, I?m awaiting pathology results from my recent lumpectomy and preparing for the possibility of further surgery and chemotherapy, though hopefully I will only need radiation. I will likely be in active treatment during this walk, which makes it all the more meaningful for me to have you walk alongside me. For me, this is less about raising funds and more about raising awareness, honoring the women who walk this road without the support they deserve, and pushing forward toward a cure.

Thank you for walking with me, standing with me, and helping me make this diagnosis mean something.

xo,
Angie