One family. Three Crew Members. One Youth Corps. Two Pit Stops. Chicago time.

For the Carrillo family, the Susan G. Komen Chicago 3-Day is a family affair. If you happen to be walking the 60-mile journey through the greater Chicago area today to help find the cure for breast cancer, you’ll certainly stop through Pit Stop 4, which is led by Saralyn Carrillo and helped by husband Julio Carrillo.  Saralyn is a two-time survivor of breast cancer.  By the way, Pit Stop 3 is led by her daughter Alex.  Oh, and did I mention that her son Andrew is the top fundraiser for Youth Corps on this event (raising over $2000)?  What a family!

Saralyn Carrillo is surrounded by her family at the Opening Ceremony of the Susan G. Komen Chicago 3-Day (left to right: Julio, Alex, Saralyn, Andrew)

“I felt like I should pay back the system,” says Saralyn. “I had a mammogram on September 11, 2001, which had a tiny lesion, and my doctor told me to followup in a year. When I did, there were dozens of lesions.  After a biopsy showed that they were positive for cancer, I elected to have a double mastectomy.” Saralyn started walking the Komen 3-Day in 2005 as appreciation for all of the information she had gleaned from the Susan G. Komen^® website and for the general cause to find a cure. This is her 7th year walking the 3-Day^®.  Saralyn had a second bout with breast cancer only this year; she noticed a lump above the area of reconstruction and underwent an additional surgery, fortunately, having clean margins. Amazingly, she is a crew captain this week even though she is two weeks into a six-week course of chemotherapy. Even after all this, she remains upbeat and positive for the future!

Saralyn Carrillo joins hands with other breast cancer survivors at the Opening Ceremony of the Chicago 3-Day

Julio is helping the Pit Stop 4 crew this weekend, and to the surprise of his wife yesterday, was also a flag bearer in the Opening Ceremony, proudly representing husbands everywhere with a flag marked “My Wife” this morning before the large crowd. After supporting his wife through her ordeals, he urges other husbands to get educated: “Have your wife get a mammogram and find out all you can about breast cancer.  I was scared to death; ignorance is fear.  We have peace of mind now.”

Go Carrillo Family!