SURVIVOR, AND 9-CITY AVON WALKER
A breast cancer diagnosis takes your breath away. I had found a lump and had done research, and I thought I was somewhat prepared if the diagnosis came, although no one really expects to hear it. But all of that research went out the window when I heard the words.
My husband and I went home and I said, “I’m going to have a mastectomy”—30 minutes after getting the diagnosis. And he said, “It’s your life and it’s your breast.” My husband showed extraordinary ability to support me. He allowed me—and this is huge—to make decisions freely with no judgment.
I needed to be really clear with friends and family that I did not want them to start treating me differently. I wanted to keep things normal, with as few awkward moments as possible.
Judy Cherry with Patrick Dempsey.
My friends were good about asking if there was anything I couldn’t eat or couldn’t do. Once, after they started to bring me things, I had a really bad week. Because my friend had brought me meals, I called and asked her if she could fix supper one night. She had opened the door, and so it was easier for me to ask because she had already given me unsolicited help. I believed that she really did want to do all she could for me.
Probably the biggest thing now is that I want to make a difference. After I did my first Avon Walk, I realized that I had experienced one of the most empowering weekends of my life.
For two days, absolutely everyone—regardless of our differences—was all together as one positive community. I had never had an experience like that before.
In the year of my second Walk, I realized that I would have to do the Walk alone, and I wasn’t sure I could do that. So I posted a message on the Avon message board, asking if there were any other solo walkers. Thirty-five of us found each other—and we each found walking partners.
We formed Solo Strutters, and I became team leader. None of the members had walking partners. And of course we couldn’t train together because we were from all over the country.
I am now 54 walks later. That sense of community is still vitally important to me.
“Now we have a Solo Strutters team in all of the Avon Walk cities. We give people who are walking alone a ‘Walk family’ within the Walk. We’re a mixture of newbies and veterans. The veterans take care of the new ones. Everyone needs a little help getting over the fear of doing the first Walk, just like breast cancer requires getting over fear.”