2012 Survivor Fundraising Chairperson Shares 'Her Little Secret'
We welcome Missy Stein as the Survivor Fundraising Chairperson for the 2012 Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure
When Elaine Grobman, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, asked me to be the 2012 Survivor Fundraising Chairperson for the Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure, I was both honored and surprised. As a two-time breast cancer survivor and Philadelphia resident for close to a decade, I've worked with Elaine on many levels from serving as a member of Komen's Speaker's Bureau to chairing events to raise awareness and funds. But...
... my little secret made me wonder if I was the right woman for the job: Although I have contributed financially over the years, I have never physically participated in the Komen Race for the Cure.
So why share my secret now? Why not just accept the honor, wake up on Mother's Day, head to Eakins Oval, join the hundreds of other breast cancer survivors on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and smile for the Survivor's photo at 7:30 AM as if I've been doing it for years? Because my guess is that there are many other women and men out there who are just like me. I want to share my story so that they know they are not alone, and it's okay if they choose not to walk or run but there are many other ways to become involved in the Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure.
For some people it may be difficult to understand why a breast cancer survivor would choose to stay as far away from "Race Day" as possible. So let me shed some light on my experience. In the beginning, after the 14 hr. surgery, the eight rounds of chemotherapy and the return of a full head of hair, I needed some distance from the whole "breast cancer thing." I wanted to go back to my regular life with my husband and five children and not be reminded that I was a survivor. I had participated in a breast cancer race through Central Park in New York City when I was in treatment and that is what my connection was to any type of breast cancer race.
Six years ago, my mother, Soni Tick, died after battling breast cancer and when Mother's Day came around, the last place that I wanted to be was with a bunch of women who still had their mothers and were joining forces in the Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure. It has taken me this long to get past the grief, to embrace my title as "two-time survivor" and to declare to the world that I am indeed going to participate in my first Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 13, 2012. So now that I am free of my secret, I am proud to say that I am the 2012 Survivor Fundraising Chairperson for the Komen Philadelphia Race for the Cure. Thanks for asking, Elaine. Watch out Philly, here we come!
~ Missy Stein
Missy Stein is writer, radio personality, and mother of five. You can read this piece and more by Missy about her breast cancer journey on virtuawoman.org.