It was late October 2010 when I was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer. At that time, I had been working at the Breast Cancer Coalition for several years as Outreach Coordinator, and as a volunteer for several years previous to that. My impetus for volunteering was losing my mother to this dreaded disease and having several sisters who had battled it themselves. You never think you will one day need the services of the organization you work for, but it happened! I believe my mother was guiding me from up above. She knew the challenge I would eventually be facing. She wanted me to have what she never did – a Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester. I was blessed to be surrounded by strong survivors who all gave me the hope and guts I needed to get through this most challenging test of my life. I thank everyone for the tremendous support – and I also thank mom – she always did know what was best for me!