My Breast Cancer Story and Pizza

During the month of October, the makers of Freschetta pizza were helping to promote breast cancer awareness through their The Strength of 1™ campaign, which includes the sponsorship of Bright Pink, the only national non-profit organization focusing on the prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in young women while providing support for high-risk individuals.  As a centerpiece to the campaign, everyone was encouraged to share an inspiring story about themselves or someone they know that

I am so grateful for this award for My Hope Chest.  In addition, purchasing Freschetta pizza throughout the month of October, 2012 helped the Freschetta brand team meet its goal in donating $25,000 to Bright Pink. Thank you to Freschetta for your campaign for breast cancer awareness.  Your brand has a whole new meaning to me.

demonstrated The Strength of 1™ power with them.  The winners were given the opportunity to designate monetary donations to the breast cancer charity of their choice.

On October 29th, I was notified that I had been chosen as the 2nd place winner.  As a result, a check for $1,000 is being sent to my charity of choice which is the My Hope Chest Foundation, an organization that assists with financial assistance to those who do not have the insurance coverage or the financial resources for breast reconstruction after breast cancer.  I would like to share with you the submission that I made for this contest:

“I suppose that for me the most important thing that I discovered as a two-time breast cancer “surthriver” was that I did not want to be defined by this disease.  I didn’t want people who learned of my cancer to look at me with pity or to feel sorry for me.  Heck, I didn’t feel sorry for myself so why should anyone else?  Personally, I didn’t even want to think about it.  I just wanted to go on with life and the fewer people that knew about the cancer, the better.  I was a very private person and my business was my business so I was not interested in reaching out to anyone for help or guidance.  After all, they didn’t know me so they couldn’t possibly know how I felt or what was best for me.

I continued to work my regular job and enjoyed each day more than I could ever have imagined.  I was so grateful for life and being fortunate enough to have had incredible people around me who not only saved my life with surgery and treatments but who supported me through every step of recovery.   But most importantly, my husband suggested that I write a blog and he would create a website for it.  He knew that I loved to write and he wanted to give me an outlet to put into words what I was feeling and thinking.  I finally agreed to do so just as something to do in my spare time but what has evolved is beyond anything that I could have imagined.

I don’t remember exactly when I decided to cross the line into the cancer zone but I will never forget the response that I received after doing so.  I started to receive responses from people all over the world who were cancer survivors, who were caregivers and who were family and friends of others who were going through all types of cancer.  They were so thankful and grateful for my opening up and sharing things from my perspective.  Some were inspired and felt that they had been given their own freedom to discuss their disease.  Some were questioning me with regard to what they should do and say around those who had cancer.  And then there were those who were the little ones who just wanted to write to someone about the fact that their parent or grandparent had cancer and they were so scared about it.

This gave me a whole new life and a way to help to realize one of my life goals, that of being able to help others.  The cancer has changed my life forever but in so many positive ways that I could never begin to express.  Therefore, I guess I can honestly say that I am grateful for having had cancer as my life is so much better for the experience.”

I am so grateful for this award for My Hope Chest.  In addition, purchasing Freschetta pizza throughout the month of October, 2012 helped the Freschetta brand team meet its goal in donating $25,000 to Bright Pink. Thank you to Freschetta for your campaign for breast cancer awareness.  Your brand has a whole new meaning to me.