Making Strides

The month of October is breast cancer awareness month and one group is gearing up for an annual event. The American Cancer Society is preparing for the "making strides walk" to support the fight against breast cancer. Jo Ellen Maring began walking in making strides against breast cancer in 2008, one year before she was diagnosed with the often deadly disease. Here's her story on why she continues to make strides. "Today I'm making it... pretty much not even for the money but to give hope." In 2009, just a few days before her birthday, surrounded by friends and family Jo Ellen's phone rang. On the other line was her doctor, she had been diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. "The reality of that is when they tell you that it's like a veil comes down over you and your no longer a part of this world that you've always known, you're in your own world and you kind of feel that your there alone. And you see everything going on that around you but you're suddenly just removed." Jo Ellen told her doctor's she wanted to one thing, walk in the making strides against breast cancer walk in October. "I always had hope though, I always had hope, like I started out saying in the beginning because I saw all those survivors I knew it wasn't a death sentence, If I had not gone to the walk before I got diagnosed I can't say that I would be the same person I am today." Organizers of the event say the walk not only raises money but is emotionally beneficial to those diagnosed with cancer. "When you're faced with a cancer diagnosis you can feel very alone but when you come to an event like making strides and you see 4000 plus people out there on a Sunday morning in all sorts of weather conditions, walking together, there to support each other, you have this incredible sense of community." Even after all the negative Jo Ellen can still find the positive with the hand she has been dealt. "You have to go through the pain, you have to go through he suffering and there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Making Strides is the good part about having cancer and that's what I tell people." In the previous two walks Jo Ellen's team has raised nearly 8000 dollars and she hopes to be the pace setting team again at this year's event.