It was 2 years ago that my then soon-to-be mother-in-law, Ellen Rosen, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Living in a different state and having that distance between us made my husband and I feel defenseless in helping her get through her struggle. That was a hard year and she underwent a mastectomy and intense chemotherapy. I'm happy to say that today she has fully recovered. Her name is now etched on the wall of survivors.

On May 3rd, 2002, I will walk 60 miles to help raise awareness and fight this disease. As a sign of her struggle and renewed strength, Ellen Rosen will walk by my side. Together, we plan to walk 20 miles a day for three days as we make our way from Baltimore, MD to Washington, D.C. Never having done anything like this before, I imagine it will have an impact on me that will affect my life forever.

If this disease hasn’t touched you, be thankful, but be prepared to face the following haunting statistics, as supplied by the American Cancer Society, National Cancer Institute. Odds are, cancer may have affected one of your friends or neighbors.
- 1 out of every 9 women in America will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.
- Over 80% of breast cancer cases occur in women with no genetic predisposition.
- 182,000 women and 1,500 men were diagnosed with breast cancer this year.
- 40,800 women and 400 men will die from the disease this year.
- Still, 1 million women in America are living with undetected breast cancer.
- There is a 97% survival rate with early detection.
- Over 2 million breast cancer survivors are alive in America today.

It is my hope that the young girls of today will not have to face this disease as adults. Maybe what I do today can help make that a reality! I dedicate this walk to Ellen Rosen and to all those strong and wonderful women who are survivors.