DAYTON — Thousands of people wore pink ribbons at Riverscape MetroPark in Dayton.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 11, they gathered for the Making Strides of Dayton breast cancer walk.
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A breast cancer survivor marked a major milestone in her recovery on Saturday.
Juan Blanks said that Sept. 19, 2022, was a day she’d never forget.
“I went through cancer, and I found out basically by finding my own lump,” she said.
She was not even 40 years old.
“I had to go through our doctor to get a mammogram,” said Blanks. “I was able to go through surgery, then I went to chemo, and then I had radiation.”
She was treated and diagnosed at stage zero. But once doctors removed the lump, they realized it was stage two.
“The road to recovery was a little bit rough; I’m not going to lie,” said Blanks.
She is joyful.
“I get to ring the bell, right?” Blanks asked. “So, that also takes a lot of weight off of your body and off of your mind, because you can go through and go from there.”
News Center 7’s Ava Petrosky said that Blanks is celebrating being three years cancer-free. Many other women also rang the bell on Saturday.
“Just to take a moment and be like, I did that, and I am out of it, and I’m going through it, and I am worthy of celebration, and just taking the time to remember that is always something that makes you feel good,” said Megan Haggerty, Making Strides of Dayton senior manager.
Saturday marked the 28th year that people repped the pink ribbons and pom poms down the 5K river trail.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But awareness does not stop once the month is over. Making Strides organizers say people can “think pink” year-round.
One in eight women is diagnosed with breast cancer each year, according to the American Cancer Society.
That’s about 13 percent. So, early detection is key.
“We want to make sure that young women can detect it, prevent it, and get screenings for it earlier,” said Haggerty.
One in 10 people diagnosed with breast cancer are younger than 45 years old. This includes Blanks.
“The faster you catch it, the more you have the chance to live and beat it,” she said.
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