In the fall of 2005, my husband left me and two months later, my mom died unexpectedly. The autopsy showed she had cancer throughout her body which started in her lungs. My world was turned upside down. I managed to pull myself together by the following spring and tried to get my life back together. I met a man and things were looking up. In June 2007, at the age of 39, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I thought it was a death sentence. I thought about my son and once again I pulled myself together and started a journey I will never forget. After many surgeries, chemo, radiation and herceptin treatments, I was cancer free but very weakened by the whole process physicaly and emotionally. It took me almost 6 months after my herceptin treatments stopped to start regaining some of my strength. I will never be the same person physically or emotionally but I am a better person because of my life experiences. I also managed to lose 100 pounds during these difficult years which I have managed to keep off by watching what I eat and exercising. I make sure to go to the doctors on a regular basis for my screenings and watch myself closely for any signs of recurrence. I do think about it coming back but I know I have been given a second chance and I am grateful for the little things everyday. Throughout this whole process, I have missed my mom terribly and have been unable to fill the void created by her death. I know she has been my guardian angel. So many women die from this disease every year. We must continue to fight for those that no longer have a voice.

Kim Toomey
Brasher Falls, NY