I PINK I CAN! 5K
Survivors run to pay forward support from the community.
BRAWLEY — Despite going through radiation treatment for the first time on the eve of the run, Brawley resident Guadalupe Soto didn’t let that get in the way of showing her support and participating in Saturday’s event.
After a routine mammogram in May, she was diagnosed with stage-one breast cancer. Thanks to the timely detection, her doctor scheduled her for surgery in August to remove the cancerous cells. After recovering from surgery, she began with radiation therapy on Thursday. “It was so important for me to show support today, I have family that has had cancer like myself,” she said. “I’m at an early stage, but I feel I need to get the word out to all the women and even men.”
In the U.S., one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Early detection greatly improves the odds of survival of cancer patients.
Soto was one of the approximately 200 hundred participants attending the Imperial Valley Press/Valley Women Magazine’s second annual I Pink I Can! 5K color run at Cattle Call Park in Brawley in honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The event highlights breast cancer awareness and contributes to the Cancer Resource Center of the Desert Outreach Program.
“We chose the CRCD as our charity partner for all of the good work that they do in the valley assisting families that are struggling with all types of cancer,” said Imperial Valley Press Publisher Belinda Mills. “We are very excited with the turnout today and the enthusiasm that we’ve seen from the Valley residents who came to support breast cancer awareness. And it is our hope that this will continue to grow bigger and bigger every year.”
CRCD Chief Executive Officer Helen Palomino said although the Imperial Valley doesn’t have a higher rate of breast cancer diagnosis, there is a higher rate of late-stage breast cancer cases particularly in the south and north ends of the county.
“We’re here to support people throughout. This raises that awareness and we’re most grateful to the Imperial Valley Press for making us their community partner,” Palomino said. “It has been a good opportunity to share what we do. A lot of the work we do doesn’t just happen in front of the patient; there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes. And it is our pleasure to do it.”
For many of the participants, the main reason to come out and be part of the run was to support a friend or family member who has been diagnosed with cancer and pay forward the support either themselves or their loved ones have received.
Although she’s been cancer free for more than seven years, local cancer survivor Leticia Garcia takes every opportunity she can to help others who are going through a similar experience as her own. Garcia was diagnosed with stage-one cancer in her left breast in 2009. A few months after the diagnostic, she had surgery to remove the cancerous tumor and later went through 39 treatments of radiation.
“I came [to the run] last year. Me being diagnosed with cancer and knowing what you go through, I try to give moral support to others because you need that,” Garcia said. “That’s why I like participating in these events, to give any moral support for friends or others.”
Garcia emphasized a big factor that allowed her to get treated in a timely manner was the fact that she would get herself screened every year in addition to all the support she received.
She also convinced her fellow co-workers at County Tax-Collectors office to join her in the run for both this and last year’s runs.
“Breast cancer has affected a few people that I know,” said Suzanne Bermudez, who is Garcia’s supervisor. “One of the girls in our office is a breast cancer survivor (Garcia) and she geared us up last year to want to do this, to help support breast cancer awareness and to maybe eventually find a cure for it.”
For Soto, one of the things that have helped her since her diagnosis is her dedication to staying fit. She has committed herself to go to the gym at least three days a week and expressed that after the race, she was feeling great despite just finishing the 3.1-mile run.
She said that for her, the most important message she can convey to other women is to listen to their bodies and be selfish in the sense of putting themselves first when it comes to health.
“If you’re out of the picture, your husband, your children, your relatives and everybody that depends on you are going to have a hard time,” Soto said. “Most women are like me; they take care of everybody else and leave ourselves to the end. And that’s not good.”
“Be selfish, take care of yourself, listen to your body and help others spread the word. If I can, by sharing my story, help at least one other person, that’d be great. If I can help a hundred, that would be even better!”