EMS for the Cure

After seeing all the pink flying around the EMS Bloggosphere, I got to thinking about everything being said and done for Breast Cancer month. I realized two things; I don't know more than one person with breast cancer (patients aside), and I have never spoke or done much about the subject.

The only person I have ever known to have breast cancer was my friend Sam's mom. I know the woman pretty well, as I have sat and talked with her on many occasions while visiting my friend. She has always been a strong and intelligent woman, and cared more for other people often more than she cared for herself. When she found out over two and a half years ago that she had breast cancer, it came as a shock to everyone. Sam and his brother were devastated, her husband seemed lost, and her friends and family were left speechless. We never expected it to happen to a person like her. In the middle of it all, there she was acting like it was no big deal. She was being strong for her family, like they were the ones with the illness.

That is the way I understand it to have happened to everyone. Nobody sees this coming. Nobody can be ready for it and nobody knows how to properly cope with it. We can't blame this on anyone, because there is no person at fault for their actions when it comes to a situation like this.

Things are different now for Sam's family. His mom is a breast cancer survivor. For the moment, the cancer is in remission and she is regaining her strength more and more each day. She was able to make it to Sam's wedding when nobody thought she would be able to get out of bed. She was able to talk her husband out of his suicidal thoughts when he thought he would lose her. She is able to do so much that other people said she wouldn't be, because of her incredible strength.

I think of my own strengths, and I realize that they are nothing compared to hers. They are nothing compared to any breast cancer survivor or survivors of any other cancers. But their strength alone is not going to see them through one of the most trying times of their lives. That's where we come in.

If you've noticed, I've went pink too for the month of October. Like many other EMS bloggers, tweeters, and podcasters I plan to help raise money for the Susan G. Komen Passionately Pink for the Cure®, through EMS For The Cure. Their goal is to raise money from now until October 15th to treat, educate, and eventually cure breast cancer. This team was started by Epijunky in her blog post Passionate For Pink. The idea was forwarded to The Happy Medic and he ran with it. Here is a public service announcement he made over at Chronicles of EMS. Enjoy:

EMS for the Cure - Challenge from Thaddeus Setla on Vimeo.

So what can you do? What can we all do?

To start, make a donation to the team. I will be later this week on behalf of my family and myself, in honor of our friend Sam and his mother.

If you're an EMS blogger too, or you just want to help the Breast Cancer cause, why not go pink yourself this month? You'll find all the resources you need over at the Chronicles of EMS PSA.

-- Browncoat EMT