About 6-years ago we got a call from my mother-in-law. In her no-nonsense style she told us that she had breast cancer. She would be going to City of Hope hospital to undergo treatment. There was no “everything will be fine” or “not to worry.” She simply laid out the facts.
We were living in Berkeley at the time and I was pregnant and on bedrest with my second child. We couldn’t be with her or see how she looked. She came to visit once during the time when she did chemotherapy and then radiation. She looked remarkably well in spite of having lost all of her hair and some weight. She was still walking every day and she was still making dinner for my father-in-law.
I’ve known her for 9 years and I’m always amazed by how strong and together she is. She beat the cancer like she does everything: efficiently and, it appears, completely.
Years later she continues to be cancer free and I know she credits much of that to the care provided by City of Hope.City of Hope Cancer Center and Research Institute is having its annual Walk for Hope on Sunday, Nov. 7 to raise money to continue its research. We did the walk with my mother-in-law a few years ago. My boys were too little to understand why we were there, but it was amazing to be together to support their grandmother.
City of Hope is a Cancer Center and Research Institute that holds a special place in our family’s heart and not just because of my mother-in-law. When my uncle was sick with a rare and deadly cancer in his jaw, he was told he didn’t have much time. Thanks to City of Hope, he got to spend a few more years with family.
For more information about the LA walk or to learn about any of the other 7 walks around the country, visit the Walk For Hope
More About City of Hope
“City of Hope is a leading research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Designated as a comprehensive cancer center, the highest honor bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, City of Hope’s research and treatment protocols advance care throughout the nation. City of Hope is located in Duarte, Calif., just northeast of Los Angeles, and is ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” in cancer and urology byU.S.News & World Report. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation and genetics. For more information, visit www.cityofhope.org.”