As we recognize October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we have teamed up with the American Cancer Society for different event. Making Strides against Breast Cancer is now being called Walk with a Drive to Make Strides in Buffalo. This is happening Saturday, October 17th and Channel 7’s Ed Drantch and Katie Morse will be there from 10am until noon. AM Buffalo wants to share some of the stories of the participants, the survivors and caregivers all this month.
Today we are sharing Michaela’s story. Michaelais 28 years old. She says she would do a haphazard self-breast exam maybe twice a year at best. She says young women like herself do not think they are going to have breast cancer.
She felt a lump, very distinct, very hard and very large. On her second day of her new job she received the phone call in her boss’s office. She was diagnosed with a very high grade and aggressive form of breast cancer which is extremely rare. She said for her to get this diagnosis at the age of 28 was pretty challenging enough in itself, but for that to also come at beginning of a pandemic was an awful lot to deal with all at once.
In the early stages she was terrified because she lives by herself and who was going to help her. She says it means the world to her to have the support of her family through all of this and support of her friends and the breast cancer community has been phenomenal as well.
Michaela says the message now needs to move more towards finding the cure and the way that we will find a cure is with support of others and with the support of our community and our neighbors and friends. She says to please support us not only in terms breast cancer awareness but in terms of curing breast cancer.
Michaela says even though your body does look different; you might have scars, you might be bald, you are still beautiful. Cancer doesn’t change that. If anything, it makes you stronger.
