Cada tres minutos, otra mujer es diagnosticada con cáncer de seno en los Estados Unidos. Esta estadística no cobró significado para mí sino hasta cuando comencé a contar y descubrí que conozco personalmente a 7 mujeres que han sido diagnosticadas con cáncer de seno. Siete. Ese número es bastante grande para una enfermedad de esta gravedad. De esas siete mujeres, 4 eran menores de 40 años (o recién cumplidos los 40) cuando le dieron el diagnóstico por primera vez. De las siete, 2 han fallecido, una de ellas mi muy querida y extrañada cuñada Michelle. La mayor de ellas es mi tía Noemi, quien fue diagnosticada hace como dos años más o menos, y gracias a una atención diligente y a la devoción de sus hijas y nietos que se han encargado de llevarla y traerla a donde sea con tal de que reciba el tratamiento adecuado, ahora se encuentra relativamente bien. La persona más recientemente diagnosticada es una querida amiga cuyas dos pequeñas hijas he visto crecer junto a mis hijos desde la cuna y quien se encuentra actualmente peleando esta batalla con para poder estar presente para sus hijas.
Le pido a cada uno de ustedes que paren por un momento de hacer lo que sea que estén haciendo y cuenten, y estoy segura de que estarán tan sorprendidos como yo de descubrir exactamente el número de personas que conocen personalmente que han sido diagnosticadas con esta terrible enfermedad. Ni la juventud, ni el estado de salud física, ni el sexo son garantía de que nunca se verán afectados por esta devastadora enfermedad.
Es por ellas, al igual que por todas las demás mujeres - y hombres - cuyas vidas han sido alteradas por el cáncer de seno que el próximo 30 de abril y 1 de mayo pasaré el fin de semana entero caminando, junto con miles de personas, en la Caminata Avon contra el Cáncer de Seno. Voy a caminar una distancia equivalente a un maratón y medio con el sólo objetivo de recaudar fondos y crear conciencia para ayudar a combatir el cáncer de seno. Yo no soy científica, por lo que no puedo ayudar de esa manera, pero hay muchos investigadores que han dedicado su vida entera a encontrar una cura contra el cáncer de seno, y siempre es bueno para ellos tener más fondos para ayudarlos a avanzar sus investigaciones. Y en ese aspecto sí PUEDO y VOY a ayudar de la única manera que sé: sudando la gota gorda por dos días para que yo, junto la ayuda de todos ustedes, pueda recaudar un poco de dinero para enviárselos y así ojalá algún día mis amigas no tengan que angustiarse por el destino de sus hijas, y así algún día yo no tenga que preocuparme de que mis hijos sientan el dolor de perder una madre, una esposa, o una hija.
El dinero recaudado va directamente a la Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade, una fundación de caridad pública cuya misión es proporcionar acceso a la atención médica y trabajar en pro de la búsqueda de una cura. La fundación da financiamiento a organizaciones por todo el país en cinco áreas: investigaciones médicas, cuidado clínico, servicios de apoyo, seminarios educativos y promocionales, y programas comunitarios y sin fines de lucro de detección temprana para la salud de los senos. Gran parte del dinero que se recaude permanecerá en nuestra área para ayudar a la gente en nuestra comunidad.
De acuerdo con las reglas del evento, estoy obligada a recaudar por lo menos $1.800 para poder participar, pero mi meta personal es aun más alta, y es mi intención recaudar por los menos $2.500. Ayúdenme a apoyar mis esfuerzos y la causa del cáncer de seno haciendo una generosa contribución. Pueden hacer donaciones en línea visitando el enlace que aparece al final de este mensaje, el cual les llevará directamente a mi página personal. Y por favor tengan en cuenta que en menos tiempo de lo que les tomó leer este mensaje, otra mujer en los Estados Unidos (y quién sabe cuantas más alrededor del mundo) fue diagnosticada con cáncer de seno.
Gracias de antemano por su apoyo.
P.D. Pueden leer más sobre la Caminata Avon contra el Cáncer de Seno visitando www.avonwalk.org (http://www.avonwalk.org/)
Por favor visiten mi página personal en: http://bit.ly/bVe7GB
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Walking to find a cure
Every three minutes, another woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer? This statistic did not resonate with me until I started counting and discovered that I personally know 7 women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Seven. That is a pretty big number for an illness this serious. Of those seven women, 4 were younger than 40 (or just around 40) when they were first diagnosed. Of the seven, 2 have passed away, one of them my beloved sister-in-law, Michelle. The oldest of them is my own aunt Noemi, who was diagnosed about two years ago, and thanks to diligent care, is doing quite well and, in between treatments, is enjoying time with her grandchildren traveling around Venezuela whenever she can. The most recently diagnosed person is a dear friend of mine whose 2 young daughters I have watched grow up along with my boys and who is presently fighting this battle keeping a brave, positive attitude, so that she can be there for her daughters.
I ask each and everyone of you to stop for a few minutes whatever you are doing and count, and I am sure you will be as surprised as I was to learn just how many people you know on a first-name basis have been diagnosed with this terrible disease. Neither youth, nor health status, nor gender will guarantee that you will never be affected by this terrible disease.
It is for them, as well as for all the other women - and men - who have been touched by breast cancer that on April 30 - May 1, I'll spend the weekend walking, along with thousands of other people, in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I will walk the distance of a marathon and a half (that's a grand total of 39.3 miles) with the sole purpose of raising funds and awareness to help fight breast cancer. I am not a scientist, so I cannot help on that front, but there are many researchers out there who have dedicated their life's work to finding a cure for breast cancer, and they can always use more funding to help further their research. On that front, I CAN and I WILL help the only way I know how: by huffing it for two days so that I, along with your support, can raise a bit of money to send their way so that hopefully one day my friends won't have to fret over their daughters' fate, and so that one day I won't have to worry about my sons losing a mother or a wife to this disease.
The money raised goes to the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade, a 501(c)(3) public charity whose mission is to provide access to care and to work toward finding a cure. They provide funding to organizations all over the country in five areas: medical research, clinical care, support services, educational and advocacy seminars, and community-based, non-profit early detection breast health programs. Much of the money raised will stay right here to help people in our community.
I'm required to raise at least $1,800 to participate, but I'm setting my goal even higher, and I plan to raise at least ($2500). Please help to support me and the breast cancer cause by making a generous contribution to my efforts. You can make your donation online by simply visiting the link at the bottom of this message, which will bring you right to my personal page. Please remember as you're making your donation that in less than the time it took to read this posting, another woman in the U.S. was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Thank you for your support.
P.S. You can find out more about the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer by visiting www.avonwalk.org (http://www.avonwalk.org/)
Please visit my personal page at: http://bit.ly/bVe7GB
I ask each and everyone of you to stop for a few minutes whatever you are doing and count, and I am sure you will be as surprised as I was to learn just how many people you know on a first-name basis have been diagnosed with this terrible disease. Neither youth, nor health status, nor gender will guarantee that you will never be affected by this terrible disease.
It is for them, as well as for all the other women - and men - who have been touched by breast cancer that on April 30 - May 1, I'll spend the weekend walking, along with thousands of other people, in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I will walk the distance of a marathon and a half (that's a grand total of 39.3 miles) with the sole purpose of raising funds and awareness to help fight breast cancer. I am not a scientist, so I cannot help on that front, but there are many researchers out there who have dedicated their life's work to finding a cure for breast cancer, and they can always use more funding to help further their research. On that front, I CAN and I WILL help the only way I know how: by huffing it for two days so that I, along with your support, can raise a bit of money to send their way so that hopefully one day my friends won't have to fret over their daughters' fate, and so that one day I won't have to worry about my sons losing a mother or a wife to this disease.
The money raised goes to the Avon Foundation Breast Cancer Crusade, a 501(c)(3) public charity whose mission is to provide access to care and to work toward finding a cure. They provide funding to organizations all over the country in five areas: medical research, clinical care, support services, educational and advocacy seminars, and community-based, non-profit early detection breast health programs. Much of the money raised will stay right here to help people in our community.
I'm required to raise at least $1,800 to participate, but I'm setting my goal even higher, and I plan to raise at least ($2500). Please help to support me and the breast cancer cause by making a generous contribution to my efforts. You can make your donation online by simply visiting the link at the bottom of this message, which will bring you right to my personal page. Please remember as you're making your donation that in less than the time it took to read this posting, another woman in the U.S. was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Thank you for your support.
P.S. You can find out more about the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer by visiting www.avonwalk.org (http://www.avonwalk.org/)
Please visit my personal page at: http://bit.ly/bVe7GB
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