SUSAN'S STORY - Going through bone marrow transplant in the fall of 1993, I met an inspirational woman named Pat Hughes. Pat often would say, ﾓWe got the cancer assignment, make the most of it.ﾔ She spoke tirelessly to other women fighting the disease. She was a board member of the Komen Columbus Race for the Cure, an advocate for The James Cancer Hospital and a volunteer for the American Cancer Society. She recruited me. Pat lost her battle in 1997 but by then I was hooked, I had adopted the mission of Komen as my own.

I joined what was then called the Columbus Race for the Cure in order to help raise awareness and to fund the search for better means of early detection, less draconian treatments and eventually a real and certain cure so that none of my nine nieces (five of whom have the disease on both sides of their families) and none of their daughters or granddaughters ever has to worry about a diagnosis of breast cancer. I stayed involved with Komen Columbus for a lot of reasons:

I found support among survivors and the family and friends of women touched by the disease. They donﾒt ask Why me? They know the answers are Why not you? and So, what are you going to do about it?

I found an organization that I thought really needed what I could do: corporate law. I joined it in its infancy and have helped grow it writing by-laws, organizing the committee structure, establishing compliance programs and developing business plans along the way.

I found a cause for which I didnﾒt mind asking for money and was overwhelmed by the support of my partners, my friends and my family.

I had fun.

I have been involved with Komen Columbus since 1994, the year after my diagnosis. I served as Development Chair (1996-1998), President-Elect (1998-2000) and President (2000-2002). Thereafter, I continued on the Board until 2004 (when I was term-limited). In 2005, when the then-President left town, I was re-elected to another two-year term on the board and agreed to serve as Interim President for one year. During this term, while attending an ED-Presidents forum at Komen National, I connected with Lynn Racys and Fran Lambert, the ED and President of the Florida Suncoast Affiliate.

In 2007, I retired from the practice of law and became a resident of Sarasota, Florida. That year, I volunteered for Build for the Cure, a Komen Suncoast fundraiser in Sarasota. In March of 2008, I was elected to a three year term on the Board of Directors of the Komen Suncoast Affiliate. To date, my most significant role on the Komen Suncoast Board has been leading the Florida Suncoast Community Profile team in preparing the bi-annual assessment of the state of breast cancer in our six county service area.

In addition to serving on the Suncoast Board, I continue to volunteer in Sarasota County. In both 2008 and 2009, I served on the committee organizing Lunch for the Cure, a fundraiser in Sarasota. I also cover health fairs and Rally for the Cure events in Sarasota.

I continue to maintain a residence in Columbus, returning north in May to work on registration for its Race. I continue to volunteer for the Komen Columbus Education Committee -- covering health fairs and speaking on the importance of early detection and the need for monthly breast self exams, annual clinical exams by a doctor and annual mammograms.

In addition to my work with Komen, I am active with The Ohio State University Alumni Association and the OSU Moritz College of Law. I have served on the Alumni Associations Advisory Council and Board of Directors and the steering committee for the College of Laws capital campaign. In recognition of this service, in 2005 I received the Alumni Associations William Oxley Thompson Award for service to the university. I have also been selected a YWCA Woman of Achievement and received community service awards from both The Ohio State University Humanities Alumni Society and the College of Law in recognition of my breast cancer advocacy work.