Day 27 of Run 31, and today’s mile belongs to Jen – who nominated herself, and five generations of her family along with her.
“My Mom is alive, my uncle is alive, I am alive, where previous cancer patients didn’t get that outcome.”
– Jen
Listen to Jen’s story
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Five generations
Jen’s nomination wasn’t just for herself. In her words, it’s for “countless generations of my family that had their own journey with reproductive cancers before me.”
Breast cancer has moved through the last five generations of her family that she knows about. Probably more, further back, before anyone had a name for it.
About twenty years ago, her mom was diagnosed and had genetic testing done. That’s when they found the reason: a BRCA2 mutation.
This is not only a women’s story
Here’s the part Jen most wants people to hear, and it’s the reason her story belongs on the radio and not just in a family group chat.
“That particular mutation is linked to several different cancers that affect all genders.”
Her family has seen breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer and prostate cancer.
And her uncle – who spent his entire career specializing in breast cancer treatment – was diagnosed with his own breast cancer several years ago. The man who treated it got it. If you’ve been carrying around the idea that men don’t get breast cancer, that sentence is worth sitting with.
Two cancers at once
Jen’s own turn came in 2022. Triple negative breast cancer.
Then, while she was preparing for treatment, they found a second primary cancer – a separate one, of the hormone responsive type. In her words: “Yup, two separate cancers.”
And this is where it turns, because of how the two behaved differently. The triple negative one moves fast, and fast is what got it caught. Jen puts it this way:
“My quick discovery and rapid treatment of the Triple Negative BC likely saved my life from the much slower growing BC.”
Who she’s celebrating
Her mom has been cancer free for twenty years. Her uncle is tumor free. Jen is here.
And when she tells you why that’s possible, she doesn’t make it about her own toughness. She points at everybody who came before – the patients who went through trials and treatments that didn’t exist yet, and the care teams who built what we have now.
“Their journey is part of ours, and we are part of future patients. Together we can cure cancer.”
Jen, today we run for you – and for the five generations behind you, and whoever comes after.
Run for them. Get screened for you.
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