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Friday, March 29, 2024

Survivors and co-survivors race for the cure

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Minutes after the last pink-clad participants crossed the finish line during Wilmington’s March 7 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K, all of the nearly 100 breast cancer survivors who took part in the event were given a pink carnation. Each woman then presented the flower to one person, or co-survivor, who helped her through her breast cancer battle.

Survivor Susan Berry handed the carnation to her daughter, Mary Grace Glover, hugging her tightly. But to show the depth of her gratitude, she also nominated Glover to receive the event’s co-survivor award for the immeasurable love and support her daughter provided after Berry’s diagnosis.

“I had recently split up with my husband and I got diagnosed with breast cancer.” Berry said. “She took care of me, she was the only one there for me…if it wasn’t for her, I couldn’t have made it.”

Much of the third annual Wilmington Race for a Cure 5K was a celebration of not just the survivors, but also the powerful support systems surrounding them. Many of the 1,000 participants signed up as a part of a fundraising team, in many cases rallying around a particular survivor.

The Belk Coastal Cure Warriors were rewarded for recruiting 44 members and raising $13,436, but 19 other teams also contributed to the $172,907 raised for breast cancer research, education and diagnostic resources at the time of the event.

While the Wilmington Warriors was one of the smaller teams, each of the team members made the race more meaningful for survivor Tammy Tann, because they were also her family members. Tann was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2014 at the age of 35.

“This is my sister, Lisa, and she’s been with me through everything, and my daughter, and nephew,” she said. “I’m a one year survivor as of this February so I’m running for myself, as well as everybody else trying to get through it.”

To celebrate the occasion, Tann picked out bright pink tutus, fluffy headbands and costume jewelry for her team to wear.

While many of the teams were formed in honor of a breast cancer survivor, one group consisted of survivors running in support of their breast cancer surgeon, Dr. Elizabeth Weinberg.

“Dr. Weinberg is a wonderful surgeon,” survivor Cindy Brooks said after crossing the finish line with her sister, nieces and pet dog. “She’s running, and she got all the breast cancer survivors that she operated on to come out and run.”

RaceCure2After the race, family, friends and supporters gathered to watch the survivors’ ceremony. While the lyrics of Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” blasted over the loudspeakers, 1–4 year survivors were recognized, followed by 5–9 year survivors, and on, up to those who have survived for over 30 years.

Tann said seeing women who received their diagnosis decades ago helped her believe she, too, has a chance to beat the disease.

“Granted, I’ve only gone one year,” she said, “but I’ve made it one, so I’m hoping to make it two, and then five, and then ten, and then hopefully survive through it.”

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