As all of you know, October is Breast Cancer awareness month, I try and support breast cancer research as much as I can by buying things that some of the money goes to research to find a cure. Most of you though don't know why I do this so I figured since it's October I would fill you in on why I support it.
When I was a sophomore in high school my math teacher from the year before who I had become friends with was diagnosed with breast cancer. She told me and the group of kids that hung out in her classroom for lunch at well lunch. I remember that I didn't show any emotion when she told us and when lunch was over just went to my next class. I had heard her and processed the news when she told us, she was worried about me and pulled me out of my class to make sure I was ok. I assured her I was fine and that I was sorry I made her worry about me, and that she had breast cancer. Little did we know how bad it actually was. A few weeks later I found out that she had stage 4 breast cancer which is well the worse stage to be diagnosed in cause it means that well you most likely won't beat the cancer.
Diane (my teacher) moved to California to pursue cancer treatment that wasn't offered up here and moved in with her brother who helped take care of her and got her to all her appointments. Diane and I talked through email and our friendship grew and grew, to the point where everyday there would be an email from her in my inbox when I checked my mail answering the one I had wrote to her. She came back up to Alaska to visit only a few times and I saw her each time she came up.
Enter my Senior year, Diane is still holding her own and fighting against the cancer that is slowly spreading, we still talked on a regular basis and she decided that she was going to bu me a plane ticket over winter vacation for me to fly down to California and visit with her for a few days. I flew down with another lady who was going to see her and had a blast see and hanging out with Diane again cause it had been a year or so since I had last seen her.
Now it's one year later, Diane isn't doing very well and her cancer has spread to her kidneys, I remember getting that email in I believe November of 2003. I knew I had to get back down to California one last time to see her. I went looking through old emails to find her mom's phone number and gave her a call asking if it would be ok if I came down to see Diane. Her mom thought it would be a great idea and I decided that I would surprise her by not telling her I was coming for a visit, the only people who knew where her mom and brother and me and my mom. My mom bought my ticket after I offered up half my airline miles to get me there and her mom put me up in a hotel and gave me money to spend while I was there. I remember emailing Diane and having to watch what I said as to not give my upcoming trip in december away.
December came and the day I left to fly down to see Diane I sent her my usual email about what had happened the day before. I also let her know that I was better from having the flu the week before and had been better for a good couple of days. Her mom met me at the airport and told me not to be hurt if Diane didn't react to me being there as a surpise, no one had ever been able to suprise her. We arrive at Larry's (her brother) house knock and walk in. Larry points me in the right direction not saying one word to me of where she is. I walked into the room she was in kinda knocked on the door frame and said Knock knock. She turns around stands up and starts crying saying my girl is here my girl is here. I was the only one who was ever able to surpise her.
A month to the day I went down to see her Diane lost her fight with cancer she battled it for 4 years which is longer than most people thought she would last. Over 5 years later I still miss her like crazy and miss getting emails from her. She was such a caring and giving person, she would do random acts of kindness. If going through a drive thru she would sometimes pay for the people's food that was in the car behind her. The world lost a great person the day she died.
I still keep in contact with her mom and brother, in fact we are trying to figure out a way to get together while I'm in California this December, I hope it happens cause I would love to introduce them to Richard and to just see them again. I need to get a new chain for the necklace Diane gave to me back in my senior year when I visited her for the first time, so I can wear it again. I never took it off till the chain broke and want to start wearing it again before I go down to California so I can show them that I still have it. I also grew my hair out for Diane but she was never able to see me with long hair so I have refused to cut it till her brother and mom can see me with it.
This Story is why I support breast cancer research, I hope one day we will find a cure so no one will loose a mother, sister, aunt or friend to breast cancer ever again!
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