BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH GIVES US ALL TIME TO FOCUS ON HELPING THOSE IMPACTED BY THIS DEADLY DISEASE.
ONE THING WE KNOW ABOUT BREAST CANCER IS THAT IT DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE. YOUNG AND OLD, RICH AND POOR, THIS DISEASE AFFECTS THOSE OF ALL CREEDS, COLORS, GENDERS AND LIFESTYLES. LET’S LOOK AT SOME INSTANCES OF HOW BREAST CANCER IMPACTS THE LIVES OF ALL OF US.
NFL Linebacker Wears Pink to Support His Mom
While he wears red sleeves under his jersey most weeks, linebacker Matt Judson will be wearing pink to honor his mom, who is thankfully in remission. “When we say ‘real men wear pink, it’s not just out there to put on a show” Judson shared with ESPN recently.
True to a mother’s form, Pieretta Judson was more concerned about how her diagnosis would impact her 10 children. “I was more worried about my kids than myself. With Matt being in the forefront, trying to keep him calm and not worried about me” Pieretta said “I knew I had to get through it – for myself and for them.”
A Trip To Las Vegas Inspires Hope
For Linda Huckobey Goodman, stepping out of her comfort zone was a key factor in her survival. In 2017, Linda was diagnosed with breast cancer, which didn’t come as a surprise to her. For years, Linda had been undergoing treatments to remove benign tumors and cysts from her breasts. “It was happening so often, I just stopped going. The pain of having them removed was more than the actual cyst or tumor.” Goodman told the Brownwood News.
However, that was a fateful decision. Linda did end up going to a doctor’s appointment when more pain and symptoms began, and then she received the devastating news. “My doctors weren’t enthusiastic about my chances for remission or recovery” Linda said. “I got depressed, and really holed myself up at home. Well, my sister wasn’t having any of that.”
One visitor Linda received regularly was the pastor of her church. “He was by at least once a week, making sure I was ok. He brought me potato soup, which I ate, and I still eat it because it helped me.”
Goodman’s sister said “Let’s do something that you normally would never do. So we decided on a trip to Vegas.” When they returned, Linda had a different attitude. “Linda came to the church and had a picture frame in her hand. As I looked at the photo, I saw 3 shirtless Chippendale’s dancers standing around a woman in an American flag bandanna and eagle t-shirt. It took me a while to realize that was Linda…this was so out of character for her, and yet, it seemed to give her a new perspective on her battle” says the pastor.
“So when I went back to the doctor, I told them to give me the ‘red devil’”. The red devil was a nickname for the strongest chemotherapy treatment available at the time. “I had faith that God could beat the devil for me, and He did!”
Linda is in remission now, but doesn’t have any plans to return to Vegas…yet.
Breast Cancer Support Can Be Shown Through CircleIt
Like Matt Judson and Linda’s sister, family members of those afflicted with breast cancer tend to offer support in countless ways. CircleIt helps families do just that. Members can send inspirational digital cards, beautiful bouquets of flowers and encouraging notes to help their heroes fight on.
To individuals diagnosed with breast cancer, the outcome may seem bleak. CircleIt empowers its members with features built to ensure they’ll be there for future events and milestones, even after they’ve passed. Much like Jane Karasin, with CircleIt you can leave letters, cards and videos of yourself delivered directly to your future generations.
With our Smart Card technology, imagine creating a card for your 10 year old grandchild’s wedding – without knowing the date, or even the year. So many with breast cancer fear that they won’t be able to share in the life-changing milestones of their family. With CircleIt, you can be there, even when you’re not.
