The Online Reflector

According to  breastcancer.org, breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers, second only to lung cancer. One in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, and as of 2011 there are 2.6 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S. Because of these statistics, breast cancer is the type of disease that can affect all types of people, even if only indirectly.

Three years ago,  a Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure  team was formed by three UIndy staff members, Roberta Hurst, Laura Irmer and Linda Corn, to honor their friend Donna Hood. Margie May, an administrative assistant in the School of Adult Learning, also decide to  join the University of Indianapolis team. May is a 10 year breast cancer survivor.

Hood was a student at UIndy who simultaneously battled cancer while earning her Bachelors and Masters degrees, working as a counselor in the Psychology department and raising her two children.

After Hood lost her battle with cancer, Hurst, Corn and Irmer decided to form the team to help UIndy and honor Hood’s memory.

“Breast cancer touches more people than you can imagine, whether it’s your co-worker, mother, brother anyone,” May said. “If you don’t have that firsthand experience, you just think, ‘Oh that’s a terrible thing,’ and you go on with your life.”

According to the Susan G. Komen Foundation website, the organization is committed to ending breast cancer forever by energizing science to find the cures and ensuring quality care for all people, everywhere. The foundation holds many runs/walks throughout the country, including a race that the UIndy team will participate in. The women said they were inspired by Hood during her battle with cancer and in her everyday life.

“Donna was such an inspiration. You would never have known she was fighting for her life,” said Graduation Coordinator Hurst. “She had such faith, even the way she expressed herself just touched you.”

Corn, who is the administrative assistant in the College of Arts and Sciences, described  Hood’s impact on her support for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

“I remember going to  a conference with her one time. We were sitting at table where she talked to another survivor. I remember all of a sudden it was like she had this instant connection with the woman,” Corn said. “They both had this twinkle in their eyes when they talked about what they had both been through. I think this is [partially] why I support [Susan G.] Komen.”

Nowhere is this unity far more evident than on race day. This is evident  when survivors make a lap by themselves during the Survivors Parade. May said the survivor population is small in the beginning and expands as the years cancer-free increases.

“The first year I walked, the young lady who walked beside me and I were one year survivors, and we were both still bald,” May said. “I cried through the whole parade because the crowd was supporting us, cheering us on and telling us we were heroes.”

The women feel connected to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and this particular race.

“I participate in a lot of runs and walks, but this one is just amazing. I just feel compelled to support this. It’s kind of a no-brainer,”  administrative assistant in the President’s Office and team captain Irmer said.  “Exposing yourself to it [the race] visually brings the impact home, even if you are familiar with the disease.”

Sign-ups are currently being held for the 2012 Race for the Cure which will be held at IUPUI on April 21. Those interested can sign up on the MyUIndy website or at www.komenindy.com.

“When the walks began, very few people participated, now we are one of the largest in the country,” Corn said.