Fighting For A Cure
From:
Deanna Michalopoulos; Additional reporting by Loren Chidoni, Women's Health
56 days 17 hours 21 minutes ago
One in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetimes. Good thing these three amazing women are working to help all of us beat the odds.
Meg Brauch
Age: 29
Home base: Mansfield, CT
Day job: High school biology teacher
Why she's an Action Figure
This fall, Brauch will saddle up for her fifth Quiet Corner's Ride for the Cure, an annual eight-mile horseback ride through the woods and fields of Pomfret, Connecticut. Proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
"It's important to be a good role model for my students," says this biology teacher, who's teaming up with her horse to raise cash for a cure. "So in 2004, I registered for the event. At the time, I didn't know anyone affected by breast cancer. But since I started participating, both a family member and a friend have been diagnosed; they're now in remission. An old family acquaintance, who's now one of my biggest sponsors, told me about losing her best friend to the disease. I've ridden in her memory and will again this year, even though we never met."
Wrangling cash
"Before last year's event, I created my own Web page through the Komen Connecticut site, then sent out a mass e-mail with the link so people could donate money. My friends ended up forwarding my e-mail to their friends, and I ended up raising about $1,200! This year, I'm hoping to reach $2,000."
"You can overcome anything, even when all the odds are against you."
Horse power
"Four years ago, Shoe broke both hind legs, and vets said he'd never carry a rider again. But after extensive surgery, multiple casts, and months of rehab, he was back in action. I rode him at last year's event and he had no problem with the three-hour trek. I'm riding him again this year. People just love this horse because he's dealt with so much in his own life. He's an inspiration--proof that you can overcome anything, even when all the odds are against you."
"I've been riding horses since I was 8 years old. It's been my passion for practically my whole life," says Brauch. This year she'll ride in memory of a sponsor's friend, who died of breast cancer. "Her name will be printed on the ribbon that Shoe will be wearing," Brauch says.
Walk This Way
Don't ride? Lace up your sneaks this October for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, a three- to five-mile fundraising walk held in 39 states. Go here to find an event.
Lindsay Avner
Age: 25
Home base: Chicago, IL
Day job: Founder and executive director, Bright Pink
Why she's an Action Figure
After testing positive for the breast cancer gene, Avner decided to take a drastic step: removing, at age 23, her two healthy breasts. Last year she founded Bright Pink, a support and education network for young women at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer.
"When I was 11, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was sure she would die--that's what happened to her mom, her grandmother, and seven other women in her family," says Avner, who took bold action to break the cycle. But she became the first to beat it. Ten months later, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and kicked that, too. "Three years ago, at my mom's urging, I went to a genetic counselor to find out if I had the breast cancer gene. I'm built like my dad--we both have skinny arms and legs, carry weight in our tummies. Obviously, it was naive to make assumptions about my health based on my looks, but it was how I'd convinced myself that things would turn out OK. I was shocked when I tested positive."
"What's really amazing is that when I have a little girl, she won't have a mom with breast cancer."
Defying a death sentence
"The news turned my world upside down. I became focused on piecing my life together--fast. I felt I had to find a husband before the cancer hit. I was getting migraines from waiting for the other shoe to drop. After a year, I started investigating double prophylactic mastectomy [preventive removal of both breasts followed by reconstructive surgery]. I thought, 'What are a few scars in exchange for my life?' In August 2006, I had the procedure done."
Taking a stand
 "Just a few weeks after the surgery, I felt so much more like my old, fun self. I even started dating! I had taken control of my situation and wanted to help others do the same. In January 2007, I launched Bright Pink, a support network that encourages women who have a family history or a genetic predisposition to either disease or who've received a diagnosis to be proactive about their health. We host social events where women can chat about their concerns. We've already grown to more than 5,000 women nationwide. But what's really amazing is that when I have a little girl, she won't have a mom with breast cancer."
Phone it in
If you've tested positive for the breast cancer gene and are looking for private, anonymous support, the free helpline FORCE (Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered) will connect you to a peer trained to listen to your concerns. 866-824-7475.
Rebekah Anna Drezek, Ph.D.
Age: 34
Home base: Houston, TX
Day job: Associate professor of bioengineering, Rice University
Why she's an Action Figure
Last year Drezek received the Era of Hope Scholar Award and a $2.8 million grant to support her work developing less expensive, less invasive methods for detecting, diagnosing, and treating breast cancer.
 "For decades, doctors have relied on biopsies to diagnose breast cancer," says Drezek, a researcher whose technology promises to make detecting the disease a lot easier. "They take a tissue sample
from the suspicious lump (with a needle or during surgery) and analyze it under a microscope. If cancer is present, the patient begins treatment. Ultrasound can be used to monitor progress. We're developing a new device: a needle with a probe at the end that's injected into the area and enables us to see individual cells. This way, doctors can determine the exact location of suspicious cells, see if they've changed in shape and size, and decide on the best treatment--all without removing tissue. This same needle can also track the progress of treatment as frequently as once a week."
Bright future
"It will take about a decade before we see large-scale use of it, but I wouldn't be surprised if someday optical imaging is as popular as ultrasound."
A future breast cancer vaccine?
Join the Love/Avon Army of Women campaign to aid breast cancer studies. Researchers will need women to donate things like blood or hair samples to learn what causes the disease.
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