MONEY raised at this Sunday’s Mother’s Day Classic in Mildura will go towards important research into new breast cancer treatments.
Hundreds are expected to gather at the Lock 11 gates before 9am, choosing to walk or run to support the cause and raise money for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
Sunraysia’s lone breast care nurse Louise James is one of 200 breast care nurses around Australia, and works at Mildura Base Public Hospital.
She said it’s important every woman to matter their age checks for lumps at least once a month.
“Our motto is if you grow them, you’ve got to know them,” Ms James said.
“One-in-seven women and one-in-600 men will be diagnosed (with breast cancer) in their lifetime.
“Twenty-thousand Australians will be diagnosed in 2023, 57 are diagnosed everyday, and two Australians are diagnosed every hour.”
Breast cancer survivor Emma Reid is BRCA-2 positive, and was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019 at the age of 32.
She had six months of chemotherapy, six weeks of radiation, surgery, and is now on 10 years worth of hormone blockers.
Having two children, she’s looking forward to more targeted treatments by the time they reach her age.
“My daughter’s certainly going to be very breast aware, but it would be great to have some more research around that,” Ms Reid said.
Fellow breast cancer survivor Suzie Adams was diagnosed with lobular breast cancer on Christmas eve in 2020.
She had a mastectomy and several reconstructive operations.
“My cancer was lobular, which doesn’t grow as a lump it grows as a string … it was actually a lot bigger than they assumed,” Ms Adams said
“Like Emma my breast cancer is a little known breast cancer.
“They’re (the National Breast Cancer Foundation) actually doing research on lobular cancer now which is great, because they can then target more specifically.”
All three women have been involved in the Mother’s Day Classic for years, and say it’s a wonderful and empowering event.
“It’s just such a community experience,” Ms Adams said.
“There’s so many other women there that have also been affected by breast cancer, whether it’s themselves or a family member,” Ms Reid said.
People can register online for the 2023 Mother’s Day Classic at mothersdayclassic.com.au.