Knowing that is deeply personal. So is knowing what cancer has already taken from us.

In 2025, I lost two aunts to cancer. One on each side of my family. My aunt on my mother's side carried the same CHEK2 mutation and was the first person I knew that was diagnosed with breast cancer. My other aunt was on my father's side.

Two different branches of my family. Two people we loved. Two reminders of just how deeply cancer has touched our family. And cancer isn't only part of our past. It's affecting people we love right now.

I've watched friends and colleagues I've worked alongside face breast cancer themselves. Some who have come through treatment and others who are still in the fight, including a dear friend who just received the diagnosis a few months ago and is currently navigating chemotherapy treatments.

These aren't distant stories to me. They're people I care about.

This is why I fundraise.

And as personal as this fight has become, I have reason to be hopeful.

After eight years working for Susan G. Komen, I've had the privilege of seeing something else up close: progress.

Over the past few decades, researchers have transformed how we understand and treat breast cancer. We now know that breast cancer isn't one single disease, and treatment can increasingly be tailored to the biology of an individual's cancer. Some newer medicines can recognize specific targets on cancer cells and deliver cancer-killing drugs more directly to them. Immunotherapy can help the body's own immune system fight certain breast cancers. And researchers are learning not only when to give more treatment, but when some people can safely receive less, reducing unnecessary side effects without compromising their care.

These aren't promises of a cure. They're evidence that research is changing what it means to hear the words, "You have breast cancer."

There is still far too much work ahead, but that progress gives me hope - especially when I think about the generations that will come after us.

That's what I'm fundraising for.

It's about my mom. My sister. My nieces.

It's about the family members we've lost, the people we love who are facing cancer today, and better outcomes for all who may face it tomorrow.

And it's about helping make sure the generations that follow us inherit something more than increased risk. I want them to inherit better ways to detect breast cancer, more precise treatments, fewer devastating side effects, longer lives and, someday, cures.

Our DNA helps tell the story of where we came from. Together, we can help change the story of what comes next.

If you're able, will you please consider making a tax-deductible donation to my fundraiser? Your support helps Susan G. Komen fund research while also providing information, resources and support to people facing breast cancer today.

Thank you for standing with my family, my friends and every family hoping for a future with less breast cancer and more reasons for hope.