Community Corner

Cancer Survivors are Ambassadors for Annual Support-A-Walk

Ambassadors are announced for local cancer walk.

Support Connection, Inc., a non-for-profit organization which offers support services to families and women affected by breast and ovarian cancer, announced the selection of three Walk Ambassadors for their 16th Annual Support-A-Walk.

The event will take place on Sunday, October 3, (rain or shine) at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Park in Yorktown.

The Ambassadors, who are cancer survivors, represent the spirit and purpose of the Support-A-Walk, which is held to increase awareness of breast and ovarian cancer and to help raise funds for Support Connection's free, confidential services to those affected by these diseases.

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Pam Tole, of Yorktown Heights, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 when she was in her 30's.

"The shock and despair was so intense it was almost surreal," Tole said.

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She called SupportConnection at the urging of her big sister, and was immediately connected with a Peer Counselor whose first words to her were: "I'm a 7-year survivor."

Tole said the calming effect was immediate. Soon after that she began attending the same support group for Young Women with breast cancer as Laura Kaplan. The group helped her get through treatment and recovery.

"I am closer to these women than I can ever be with anyone else," she said. 

Her support group experiences are a big reason she agreed to be a walk ambassador.

"Although I'm a pretty private person, something Lance Armstrong came up with really affected me," Tole said. "It's called The Obligation of the Cured. While I don't know if I'm really cured, I am a survivor (so far and knock wood.) Armstrong says if you've gone through cancer, you need to put it out there, to bring it to the public's awareness and to help others. Support Connection has helped me tremendously in so many ways, more ways than I can count, so I feel this is the very least I can do."

"I lost a dear friend from our support group last December," she added. "She was always eager to share her story to help others. When I was asked to be an Ambassador, I pictured my friend sort of standing behind my shoulders with an expectant look on her face."

Tole will be at the Support-A-Walk this year for the 5th year in a row; a lover of all things Halloween, she'll be seen proudly carrying her "Team Halloween" banner.

Laura Kaplan, of Katonah, will be participating in the Support-A-Walk for the sixth time this year. She started walking in 2004, the year she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was 38 year old and raising two children, 12 and 13. She heard about Support Connection when she was about halfway through her cancer treatment. After calling for information, she joined the newly-formed support group for Young Women with Breast Cancer, where she met fellow Walk Ambassador Pam Tole as well as other women close to her age.

"Before I joined the group, I hadn't met anyone my age who had breast cancer," Kaplan said. "I always tell people: it's very different experience for someone in their 30's than it is for someone who is 20 or more years older. The women in my group were so helpful to me."

She has participated in Support Connection programs ever since, and looks for ways to help other women who need the kind of help she received. She volunteers at health fairs and community events, sharing information about the organization and about breast and ovarian cancer. 

"I'll do anything I can to let other people know aboutSupport Connection and the incredible services they offer," Kaplan said. "I was so grateful to find Support Connection and meet the amazing women I've met. I'm always willing to share my own story if it will raise awareness or help another person going through what I've been through."

Debra Paget, of Goldens Bridge, had agreed to be a walk ambassador because she's passionate about increasing awareness of ovarian cancer and its symptoms. She was diagnosed with the disease in 1998 at the age of 43 and feels lucky: her diagnosis came at an early stage which is critical to successful treatment.

Unfortunately, because the symptoms are hard to recognize, many women don't learn they have ovarian cancer until it has progressed.

"I called my doctor because I was having some spotting when I shouldn't be," Paget said. "At first we thought it was perimenopause, but when it got worse I called again and went in to see her."

Within days Debra was in surgery. Afterwards, as she learned more about ovarian cancer symptoms, she realized there had been unrecognized signs such as stomach and appetite problems, bloating, and her clothes not fitting right.

When she was diagnosed, Debra reached out to Support Connection for information and support. Last year, after she retired, she began volunteering and became heavily involved in the Support-A-Walk.

Her commitment is based on more than just her own cancer history; when Debra was only 12, her mother died of breast cancer at the age of 42. Debra has done extensive community outreach for the Walk and has worked on various fundraising campaigns. Last year, she raised $4,600 in Walk donations.

She has also involved her friends and family to help. Her synagogue, The Jewish Family Congregation of South Salem, has a Walk Team. Her husband Jeff, and their children, Samantha, 23, and twins Blake and Lowell, 20, have all helped too. This year, Samantha has raised $560 in Walk donations by herself.

"The Support-A-Walk is a wonderful opportunity for friends, families and community members to come together for a very important cause," Paget said. "It is truly uplifting to be a part of it."

Registration and donations are now being accepted for the Support-A-Walk. To learn more or to participate visit www.supportconnection.org or call 914-962-6402.


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