Rays of Hope: Walk & Run October 27, 2019

Walk & Run

Join Us and Make a Difference!

Toward the Cure with Us!

Walk Toward the Cure of Breast Cancer & Run Toward the Cure 8K

SUNDAY

October 27 SPRINGFIELD, MA Rays of Hope has helped thousands of breast cancer patients and survivors by raising funds for special programs, services and research through the Baystate Health Breast Network and the Rays of Hope Center for Breast Cancer Research, along with various community organizations. All funds raised stay in Western Massachusetts.

Be a Team Captain • Organize a team! Ask your friends, co-workers & classmates to join you • Create your own Web page and collect donations online

Be an Individual Walker/Runner

SUNDAY

• Create your own Web page and collect donations online

October 27

Ask Your Company to be a Rays of Hope Sponsor • Call us at 413-794-8001

Can’t Join Us on October 27? Be a 10,000 Stepper

SPRINGFIELD, MA

• Register online • Get steps in however & whenever you want – walk, run, bike, swim laps, etc!

• Create your own Web page and collect donations online

Match Gifts: Double Your Donations!

• Ask if your company has a matching gift program • Ask your sponsors if their company has a matching gift program • Contributions are tax-deductible as provided by law

Imagine A Generation Without Breast Cancer other creative ways all year long, every year, in support of Rays of Hope – Walk & Run Toward the Cure of Breast Cancer.

This year’s event steps off for its 26th season on Oct. 27 from Temple Beth El in Springfield, where generations of walkers and runners – over 20,000 strong – will step off from all walks of life in support of those who have been challenged by breast cancer as a patient or support person.

Several generations of the Ronghi family will be

BY KEITH O’CONNOR Special to The Republican

Major Sponsors

Baystate Health Foundation events are underwitten by

Imagine a

GENERATION without breast cancer

“It’s a hope that we all share,” said Dr. Grace Makari-Judson, chair of the Baystate Health Breast Network, who over the years has treated thousands of women with breast cancer at the Baystate Regional Cancer Program.

When that generation finally arrives, they will be able to say thank you to the thousands of people who walk, run, bake, hold tag sales and raise money in

participating in this year’s Rays of Hope Walk & Run as part of the Cure Crusaders team, three of whom are breast cancer survivors.

Anna Symington, past chair of the Rays of Hope, was diagnosed in 2003 with breast cancer. Then, within a space of two-and-a-half years, her sister Donna Rounds was diagnosed with breast cancer, followed by their mother Filomena Ronghi.

“It was alarming for me to

CONTINUED INSIDE

REGISTER TODAY! BaystateHealth.org/RaysofHope

Here’s the PINK of the Day! WHAT:

Rays of Hope Walk & Run Toward the Cure of Breast Cancer

WHEN: WHERE:

Sunday, October 27 Temple Beth El 979 Dickinson Street Springfield, MA

Registration for timed 8K run begins 7:30 a.m.; Start time is 8:30 a.m.

Registration for the Walk (2 mile or 5 mile route) begins 9:00 a.m.

Start time is 10:30 a.m.

For more information, including Parking Visit our website at BaystateHealth.org/RaysofHope or call 413-794-8001

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to 20 investigators, leading to 15 publications and numerous presentations at national meetings.

It usually takes 5-6 years from when a project CONTINUED is funded by Rays of Hope, to when the work is published. The success rate for obtaining external learn that both my sister and mother had been funding for these investigators is 20%, which diagnosed after me with breast cancer. I wondered compares very favorably with the nationwide rate how that could be, was it just coincidence or were of only 10%. there other factors influencing our diagnoses?” said “In the past, we used a one-size-fits-all approach Symington, who remains active with the Rays of to breast cancer treatment. Today, it is all about Hope, especially in her support of their research. a personalized approach using patient and tumor “The fact that each of our breast cancers were specific factors such as molecular profiles to unique and required different treatments made me decide on which treatment is best likely to provide realize that there was more at work than genetics, the most benefit with the least toxicity. For other potential causes, to our cancers,” she added. tomorrow, we hope we can identify individuals A diagnosis of breast and other cancers most susceptible to breast cancer and take steps to often prompts people to learn more about their prevent cancer,” said research center co-director family histories and if they have inherited a Dr. Makari-Judson. cancer susceptibility gene. That was the case Reflecting on her past two year as Rays of Hope for Symington and her mother, who were tested chair, Denise Jordan noted that breast cancer at Baystate’s Family Cancer Risk Program – a survivors – she is now a five-year-survivor – and collaboration between the hospital’s Genetics others must continue the fight to find a cure.

Department and the D’Amour Center for Cancer “Our call to action is far from over. We still have Care – for the BRCA genes. Both tested negative for a way to go. It’s true that we have made strides, but hereditary cancer genes. we must never lose sight of the vision to eradicate Only around 5-10% of breast cancers are breast cancer and that cannot happen without believed to be hereditary, the result of abnormal continuing to fund the research and state-of-thegenes that parents pass on to their children. Most art equipment needed to find the cure,” she said. inherited breast cancers are the result of mutations Until the day arrives when the world can in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. And, women who celebrate a generation without breast cancer, Rays have one of the BRCA mutations can have up to of Hope will continue to support research in hopes a 70% risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer of a cure, while also supporting women and men during their lifetimes. who have unwillingly embarked on this journey.

Today the area of genetic testing to identify at the family her of some “Rays people y of Hope p ensures p p are educated and Network, Breast Health Baystate the of individuals at higher risk of developing cancer has Chair Dr. Grace Makari-Judson, making good toward getting the right care and mak exploded. Several years ago there was one test, 2018 ROH Walk/Run. choices,” said ssurvivor BRCA 1/2, performed by one laboratory. oratory. Now there Ronghi, R are panels of genes to assess, who knows dozens of different laboratories, firsthand the and online direct to consumer benefits of testing with variable quality and having the without face-to face counseling Rays of Hope to address individual concerns, behind you, b noted Dr. Makari-Judson. eevery step of “It’s all about trying to identify the way during th individuals who are at higher yyour breast lifetime risk of developing cancerr ccancer journey. ca based on genes that they have “Rays of inherited. We want to guide them m Hope provides Ho in making decisions to reduce an environment their risk of cancer and ultimately, y, of less fear, less hope to prevent them from ever anxiety, less anx having to go through diagnosis loss, more faith, los and treatment,” said Dr. Makarimore families, mo Judson. and more ‘Yes, There is an urgent need to we ccan!’” said understand why women differ in Rounds, Ronghi’s Rou their risk of breast cancer, noted Anna Symingto daughter and daug n, past chair of D. Joseph Jerry, PhD, co-director the Rays of Hope all breast cancer , mother Filomen ffellow ellow survivor. survivors. with Dr. Makari-Judson of the Rays ys a Ronghi, and sis ter Donna Roun Even if you ds, of Hope Center for Breast Cancerr un. lk/R Wa H cannot walk or run RO 8 201 Research. at the Fundraisers walking on Rays of Hope day received $1.5 million to support and maintain the “We want to know why exposures res due to other commitments, you can still show your Breast Research Registry and Tissue Procurement allowing women to to environmental chemicals may pose support by signing up as a “virtual” participant.

Repository. The second area of funding, live longer. Individuals with metastatic breast a risk to some, but not others. We also want to 9 You can choose your own method of participation $ cancer that agree to participate in the registry 00 , 000 , has gone to individual investigators to know why 1 in 8 women in the United States are – walk, run, bowl, swim and more – anytime during will have a sample of blood taken, allow access be used as startup funds with the ultimate goal of likely to develop breast cancer, but it is equally the month of October to get in five miles, while to leftover tissue from a prior biopsy, and fill being competitive for larger grants from outside important to understand why 7 out of 8 do not. The raising donations similar to other Rays of Hope out a questionnaire. The information will allow funding agencies. The Rays of Hope Center for breast tissue resources at the Rays of Hope Breast participants. identifi cation of individuals eligible for clinical Breast Cancer Research has been successful in Research Registry provide a unique opportunity To learn more about clinical trials at Baystate, trials. This contributes to the Baystate Regional recruiting investigators to pursue breast cancer to understand these individual differences,” said call 413-794-9875.

Cancer Program being more competitive by having research, especially from the University of Jerry, who is also a professor at UMASS – Amherst real-time data for industry and cooperative group Massachusetts. The investigators have succeeded and science director at the Pioneer Valley Life partners as new drugs become available for testing. in attracting funding from outside agencies, Sciences Institute on the Baystate Medical Center For more information on raising “Our work has looked at times in a woman’s such as a $3.5 million grant jointly funded by campus. life where she may be more susceptible, the so the National Institute of Environmental Health The Rays of Hope Breast Research Registry is a funds for this year’s Rays of Hope called windows of susceptibility. This is in line Sciences and the National Cancer Institute to fund confidential depository of information, including held rain or shine, visit with areas of focus for the National Institutes of research on breast cancer risk and environmental tissue samples, related to the diagnosis and Health (NIH) and National Cancer Institute (NCI), exposure to common chemicals.

BaystateHealth.org/RaysofHope treatment of individual participants with breast and a unique way to make us more competitive.

To date some 23 different grants were awarded cancer and other breast problems. Allowing

Imagine a generation

researchers access to such information could provide the answer to such questions as why different patients with the same cancer respond differently to the same exposures.

Additionally, Baystate Medical Center recently opened the Metastatic Breast Cancer Registry.

Metastatic breast cancer is not curable, but it is treatable and these new treatments are

The Rays of Hope tissue resources have allowed for development of ‘organoids,’ which can be described as 3D tissue cultures providing a platform to assess individual susceptibility to hormones or chemical exposures,” said Jerry.

A large focus of Rays of Hope funding supports research in the Pioneer Valley. The Rays of Hope Center for Breast Cancer Research

REGISTER TODAY! BaystateHealth.org/RaysofHope

Friendship Formed

from

By Caitlin Roberts

Hope

Baystate Health Foundation

“Your worlds collide with someone else’s when you need them. It was kismet,” Bovat added.

Through both of their cancer journeys, the two women leaned on one another for support.

We didn’t meet for good things. We didn’t connect because we had the same favorite vacation spot.

We were there for each other at the absolute worst, lowest point and somehow managed to piggy back off one another. It always felt like we were carrying each other throughout the whole thing and it just made the experience better – if it can be made better, and it was.”

“She’s my person,” Bovat said.

Their friendship and support network was complemented by family and friends who had a strong desire to help out where they could. After both of their diagnoses, the women had family members and friends who asked if they wanted to form a team to walk in the Rays of Hope Walk & Run Toward the Cure of Breast Cancer.

“When a friend asked me if I wanted to have a team, I said, ‘Yes. I do want to do this. I want to have some fun. I needed to have some fun in my life,’” Bovat said.

The result was a feeling of connectedness that both women experienced almost immediately.

Above: Angela and Lindsey’s friendship is rooted in their shared cancer experiences.

Right: Angela and Lindsey connected at the Rays of Hope Walk & Run Toward the Cure of Breast Cancer in October 2018.

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Last April, Lindsey Bubar of East Longmeadow underwent a mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

As Dr. Nada Kawar entered the room for her surgery, Bubar’s cousin, surgical tech Nicole Diffley, asked if Bubar could dance for a minute. Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” began playing over a smartphone and the surgeon and nurses all joined in. A video of the pre-surgery dance went viral and her story was all over the local news.

But, there is more to Bubar’s story.

She and Angela Bovat, another breast cancer survivor, were in the same location thanks to their children’s elementary school orientation. As Bovat sat through the program, her mind raced through thoughts about her chemotherapy treatment, which she was set to begin later that week. In front of Bovat sat Bubar, scarf wrapped around her head. She was also undergoing chemotherapy treatment and when Bovat saw the scarf, she asked a mutual friend to introduce them.

“It was an immediate connection. I had someone who literally knew what I was going through,” Bubar said.