"TEAM FRIENDS OF CAROLINE" 2023 Support-A-Walk for Breast and Ovarian Cancer

team friends of caroline IS raising funds for the 2023 Support-A-Walk for Breast and Ovarian Cancer presented by Support Connection, Inc. Please help by sponsoring me with a donation!

I reached out to the Support Connection in 1997 during my senior year of High School. My mother had just been diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of forty six. She had felt a lump behind her left breast and had gone to see her Gynecologist. The Doctor kept sending her away and saying that it was just fat tissue from beginning stages of menopause. My father was persistent and they finally found a doctor who took them seriously and performed a MRI. The MRI showed a lump the size of a grapefruit behind her left breast.

I discussed our family with Kathy and how each one of us was dealing with the news. After our discussion, I decided to create a team in honor of my mother’s fight against this horrible disease. Team “Friends of Caroline” has been walking since 1997.In 2007 my brave mother lost her battle with Breast Cancer. We now walk in loving memory of my mother. The Support Connection staff and counselors were a true blessing during our family’s difficult time. They continued to offer their support to our family even after our loss. This is why I continue to help with the Support-A-Walk each year. I want to be able to give back to them the same way they were able to give to our family.

My daughter, Isabella “Bella” was born in 2009.She has always been told about my mother, her grandmother and how amazing of a woman she was. She has been part of our team in some capacity since birth. Since the age of nine she has been able to be more hands on in helping get the word out regarding the Support-A-Walk. She has been helping provide outreach as well as helping hang flyers around the community. Bella also creates and updates our team banner each year.

The support that the Support Connection has provided our family is indescribable. They not only helped my mom but they also welcomed us with open arms. “Cancer is a family affair”, it effects every member in different ways. The service they provide is a valuable asset to the community. The staff and counselors are angels sent from above.

I am grateful and honored that Bella and I have been chosen as Walk Ambassadors at this upcoming Support-A-Walk. It is humbling to be able to help this amazing organization after all the help they have provided our family. I hope that by sharing my story with others that are going through what I have gone through, they will realize just how important we are to our diagnosed family member. It is important for them to know that they are not alone and we will help them navigate their journey together. I love being able to reach out to our community and help raise money so that this organization can continue helping others. This is why I formed our team and why I will continue to walk for as long as I am able to. To walk as a team surrounded by our community and loved ones while keeping my mom’s memory alive is a great feeling and I am so glad that I get to share this experience with my daughter.

I am so blessed that I have a wonderful team of friends and family that have chosen to walk with us each year and hep raise money for this amazing program.

Please give whatever you can - together, we can make a difference!

If you’d like to learn more about Support Connection or the Support-A-Walk, visit their website: supportconnection.org. Thank you!