BLOG
—
Woolpert Walks to Fight Breast Cancer
Over 41,000 women in the U.S. are expected to die from breast cancer in 2019, and approximately 2,670 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in men. According to Breastcancer.org, more than 3.1 million American women currently have a history of breast cancer.
Despite these frightening statistics, or maybe because of them, the Woolpert Walkers in the firm’s Indianapolis office are dedicated to taking steps to fight the disease—by participating in the Central Indiana Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.
One of the team leaders, Phyllis Daulton, has a very personal reason for her support. “I was diagnosed with breast cancer eight years ago on June 7, 2011,” she said. “My best friend, Karen Miller, who also works for Woolpert, had participated in the event for several years, and she wanted to form a team because I had breast cancer. Because of her efforts, I have participated in the event every year for the last seven years. It is a celebration of every year the Lord has given me since my diagnosis.”
Daulton said the event usually consists of a 5K run/walk and a 1-mile family walk, though this year the run/walk was 2.5 miles. “There is also a Pink Parade to honor breast cancer survivors,” she explained.
The first time Daulton participated in the Pink Parade was very memorable. “To walk with other survivors and have people cheering for you was very emotional,” she said.
The Indianapolis event has been held annually for 27 years to fund research in the fight against breast cancer. She said the bulk of the funds raised remain in central Indiana to help those in need of services like screenings, treatment assistance, education and survivor support.
“Seeing so many breast cancer survivors gives others hope that they, too, can survive this disease. This year was particularly memorable, as well as emotional, as I walked arm-in-arm with my sister who was diagnosed with breast cancer just one year ago.”
Daulton said the event has become a family affair. “As a participant, I contact friends, family and other people I know to see if they are willing to donate money to Komen Central Indiana,” she said. “My husband and I have always participated in the 1-mile family walk. Most of the people who walk with us also do the family walk.”
Other Woolpert team members included Jon Sheidler, Derek Walton, Angie Smith, Scott Bennett and Melanie Hock.
Daulton said that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, so chances are, most of us will know someone who had or will have breast cancer. “To receive a breast cancer diagnosis is no longer an immediate death sentence due to advances in treatment. Also, early detection is critical to increasing survival rates,” she explained.
Phyllis Daulton
Engineering Tech
Breast Cancer Statistics
- For U.S. women, breast cancer death rates are higher than every cancer except for lung cancer.
- Only skin cancer is diagnosed more frequently for American women.
- Breast cancer is more common in African-American women under 45 than in white women. Asian, Hispanic and Native-American women are at lower risk.
- Women are at twice the risk if a first-degree relative, such as a mother, sister or daughter, has been diagnosed.
- Less than 15 percent of women with breast cancer have a family member diagnosed with it.
- One in eight American
women will develop invasive breast cancer.
Source: breastcancer.org
