Participating in the MORE THAN PINK Walk is more than just "work" to me, its personal. In 2015, my mom was the first in her large extended family to be diagnosed with a BRCA1 genetic mutation, and I followed her with my own diagnosis in 2016 at the age of 21. Since finding out about our family genetics, we have done our best to be proactive, and to be advocates of knowing your families health history. 

Fast forward to when I started with Komen with Komen last year on my very first day, I learned that Komen funded Mary-Claire King’s research to finding the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic mutations. I was brought to tears (it also may have been the postpartum hormones.) As it was a full circle moment for me and my family since I just had Riley 10 weeks before. Because of Susan G. Komen and the life saving research they fund an organization I now had the privilege of working for, my mom gets to be around to be a grandma to Riley and I get the opportunity to be proactive about my health and cancer risks to be able to be the best mom I can be for him. I am so grateful. 

1 in 8 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime and about every 12 minutes, one woman in the U.S. will die of this disease. In Colorado, 5,000 people are diagnosed with breast cancer each year and in 2023 the Komen Financial Assistance program provided financial assistance totaling $163,00 to 287 individuals in Colorado ALONE who are in breast cancer treatment or living with metastatic breast cancer. Breast cancer truly needs all of us to make a real difference. Please join us today in this fight by making a donation. 

You can even start your own team or register as an individual and join us on October 12th at Civic Center Park in Denver, it is such a great day and as always my team is always open! If you made it this far thank you so much for taking the time.