This year marks a decade since Joyce L.’s daughter died from breast cancer. To honor her memory, Joyce will return to the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®, a place that holds bittersweet memories.
“She said to me, ‘Mom, when I get through all this, let’s do this,’” Joyce recalled. “We always planned to do a 3-Day together.”
Jennifer was just 31 when she found a lump in her breast in 2009. Around the same time, she learned she was pregnant. Her doctor advised waiting a month to monitor the lump, but a second trimester biopsy confirmed Jennifer had stage 2b lobular breast cancer. She was carrying twins, but heartbreakingly, only one would survive.
Despite the devastating news, Jennifer’s resilience kept her moving forward. Doctors removed 23 lymph nodes, 22 of which were cancerous. She had a mastectomy to remove her left breast, and later had another mastectomy to remove the other breast. She also had her ovaries removed due to her estrogen-positive diagnosis.
Through it all, Jennifer remained hopeful. She gave birth to her daughter, Maya, who was healthy and born with a full head of hair despite Jennifer undergoing chemotherapy while pregnant.
“My daughter had no hair from chemo when Maya was born, but that little girl had a head full of black hair. It just proves that the placenta takes care of the baby,” Joyce said.
After Maya’s birth, Jennifer continued chemotherapy and was ecstatic when scans showed no evidence of cancer. Jennifer returned to work as a physical therapist, traveled to India with her husband and daughter, and continued to advocate for herself and raise awareness about breast cancer. Jennifer formed a team, Warriors for Jen, and raised money for the Komen San Diego Race for The Cure® (now the San Diego MORE THAN PINK Walk®). She organized a pizza night fundraiser and comedy event that raised over $6,000.
“No matter how devastating what she was going through was, she was always looking on the bright side,” Joyce said. “She wanted to be out there and helping others.”
But in 2012, the cancer returned and metastasized (spread) to her spine. Jennifer refused to give up. She joined a clinical trial, kept her positive attitude, and enjoyed watching her little girl swim and ride her bike.
When Jennifer’s breast cancer progressed and she couldn’t walk the 3-Day, she still wanted to show up to offer her support. One of her friends walked the 3-Day and Jennifer made sure she was at the finish line to congratulate her. That inspired Joyce to take the first steps they’d planned to walk together.
“Things appeared to be a little shaky, so I decided to do it myself. I signed up as a single walker but ended up joining the Powered by Optimism team. They embodied everything Jennifer stood for,” Joyce said. “I am still on that team to this day.”
Joyce has walked in 13 events across San Diego, Boston, Chicago and Denver. She carried the “Daughter” flag in her first 3-Day walk in 2014 with Jennifer watching nearby. A few weeks after Jennifer passed away in October 2015, Joyce completed the 3-Day in San Diego.
“That was the hardest walk. But the Pink Bubble community has been part of my healing process,” Joyce said. “They’ve really been there for me.”
Now 71, Joyce continues to walk in the San Diego 3-Day and hopes to inspire the next generation to join her. Walking alongside Joyce are her son and niece, other family members, friends and her granddaughter, Maya, who is almost 16.
Maya, who has served on the Youth Corps three times, will walk her first 3-Day this year.
“I know Jennifer would be standing on the sidelines cheering for us all, especially Maya. She would be so happy to see her daughter at the 3-Day,” Joyce said.
In honor of Jennifer’s 10-year anniversary, Joyce is setting her fundraising goal at $10,000 – the same amount Jennifer challenged her to raise in 2015.
“I told her that was a lot, but she said, ‘You can do it mom.’” Joyce recalled. “And that year I did. I managed to raise over $10,000. So, this year, I’m doing it again, for her.”
