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Today’s Tribute Wall section brings to a close our newspaper’s month-long educational breast cancer coverage.
Throughout October — National Breast Cancer Awareness Month — our editorial mission has been to bring our readers stories that will inform and inspire about a disease that may affect one out of eight women. Men also can be affected.
Our daily features — online and in print — focused on a wide range of medical specialties as well as personal stories of breast cancer survivors and their families. We talked to authors and researchers, genetics counselors and surgeons. Women learned how to properly do a breast self-exam and where they could go to access everything from free mammograms to emotional support from others facing the same difficult journey.
“I have four friends in my life who are dealing with breast cancer at various levels, and the information you shared from the American Cancer Society was very informative and to the point,” wrote reader Sue Ryan of Dayton.
We heard from medical professionals as well.
“I have been reading the ‘Breast Cancer’ series and truly appreciate the Dayton Daily News putting this series in front of your readers as it is such a prevalent disease for women and the message does need to get out,” wrote Gary M. Onady, professor of pediatrics at Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine. “Emotional support is the key to healing the mind as well as the disease toward helping women make the right choices in their treatment course; and again your series of articles is much appreciated in providing this perspective.”
The highlight of the month took place on Saturday, Oct. 17, when the Dayton Daily News published a paper on pink newsprint. Issued to coincide with Making Strides, the American Cancer Society’s 5K walk in downtown Dayton, that day’s paper raised money for the important cause. Through cash and in-kind support, the newspaper donated $70,000 to support the local chapter of the ACS,
In addition to listing community resources, our “pink paper” was filled with stories from readers told in their own words. One of them was 22-year-old Lauren McClure of Kettering, who appeared on the cover of our Life section. She was diagnosed just weeks before the walk.
“Usually October passes with me faintly noticing the abundance of pink around me,” Lauren wrote. “Breast cancer just meant pink ribbons on my box of Wheat Thins or the commercials of bald women finishing a race for the cure on television.
“This October is completely different,” she went on to say, then shared her shocking diagnosis, her bilateral mastectomy, and her anticipation of the chemotherapy she was about to start. “Most 22-year-olds are just getting familiar with their bodies,” she shared, “and now I’ve lost something I once cherished.”
Lauren and her friends and family took part in the Strides walk.
“It was so amazing to go on ddn.com and see pictures of the walk and see complete strangers holding my picture,” she wrote afterwards. “Thank you so much for letting me share what I am going through. People everywhere have told me how inspiring and enlightening my story was.”
Peter Osborne, public relations director for the American Cancer Society, said this year’s walk was Dayton’s best.
“We raised $375, 000, an increase of over $50,000 from last year,” he said. “And we conservatively estimated there were 6,500 walkers, 500 more than last year. When you add the dollars and numbers together, it’s clear there was a noticeable buzz in the Miami Valley to save lives from breast cancer this year.”
We want to thank all of those folks in the Miami Valley who were willing to share their often painful stories in the hopes of easing the way for others.
It seems especially appropriate to end this special month with our Tribute Wall in today’s special section. Each of the names listed on our wall represents an additional story that’s being told in the hearts of family and friends who remember the lives of those they have lost, and celebrate the lives of those who continue to wage the battle against breast cancer.
Our entire compilation of stories will continue to be available on daytondailynews.com/lifestyle/pink.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2440 or MMoss@DaytonDailyNews.com.
The Pink Paper
Join the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on Saturday, Oct. 15 at Fifth Third Field. > Find out how to participate
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