When our co-founder, Joe, was in college, he decided to take two years off for overseas missionary work. The work would put him far from his family and relatively out of touch with them. While letters did arrive frequently, there was almost no phone contact (and email wasn't even on the scene yet!!)
After about a year and a half of service he received word through a very uncommon phone call that his mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer and was going in for an emergency biopsy.
The news weighed heavily on him...his family had already experienced the devastation that the disease can cause. His mother's dearest friend died of breast cancer almost ten years prior. She was 43 and left behind five sweet and very young children. Later, despite the families moving geographically far apart, the bond stayed tight and each of those kids had a chance to stay frequently, sometimes months at a time, at Joe's house. Late at night, they often talked and shared tears over losing their mom when they were so young.
Now with the news of his own mom's diagnosis he sat, far away, he had no other recourse but to wait and pray. In the ensuing weeks, the doctors removed the malignant lump and administered chemotherapy. His mom lost a lot of hair, but not all. In time she recovered fully and was pronounced cancer free.
Happily, the diagnosis had been made at an early stage, caught by a regularly scheduled mammogram. Had it not been caught so early, she might not now be enjoying retirement with her husband, spending hours spoiling her grandchildren, and devoting time to complete the Race for the Cure.
