Arriving at Grove City on this hot summery day and with an entourage of family and friends, we came to watch four crazy men.

Those four included my son, my husband, his father and my husband’s brother. The task at hand was for these four to sky dive that day, and it was going to be covered by The Meadville Tribune.

It was at that time then that two of the Tribune’s finest had come to document the story, and during that time I was approached about any interest I would have in being part of a women care presentation/article they were doing for the paper.

Since I was admittedly lacking hair and having the waxen look of the southern belle, I knew it was in regard to my cancer treatment.

I am not a retiring creature by any means but it did take me back a step until I realized I could probably help others through my story.

I am not the only person to walk this walk with breast cancer, nor would I be the last. I decided to commit to this purpose and to open myself up to whatever would lie ahead to get education and awareness and understanding of what the face of breast cancer looks like.

Maybe there was something I could do from the sidelines for now.

The three generations of my husband’s family did make the jump, the irony was that my husband was the one who was sick and I drove home and tended to his needs. It wasn’t me this time.

This was the start-over 4 years ago of an ongoing dialogue and continuation of this project with many starts and stops, and now today as a breast care educator, the subject is open and I am sharing a story that started March 11, 2005.

May it be of benefit to you in some small way and may you know you are never alone in this triumphant walk — for whatever you do or whatever may come, know that you are triumphant and a winner for being in this walk.