Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Breast Cancer Awareness Month holds a special place in my heart, not just because of the pink ribbons or the reminders to get mammograms, but because it reminds me of two of the strongest women I have ever known—my grandmother and my mother—who both fought brave battles with breast cancer.
When I was 17, I lost my grandmother to breast cancer. In her final days, I was fortunate to be able to care for her at home, providing the comfort and love that only family can offer. When she passed, we honored her in the most fitting way possible—dressing her in one of her signature flamboyant outfits: a burgundy leather mini skirt with a matching leather jacket. I remember curling her hair, applying her makeup, and marveling at the closet full of rhinestones, sequins, feathers, and fur. Her style was bold, unapologetic, and full of life—traits that she passed on to me. Even though her clothes were too outrageous for me or my mother to wear, I now wish I had kept them, maybe to use for a costume party or even to outfit an entire drag show! She taught me to live life boldly, and I carry that with me every day.
Just a few years later, when I was 20, my mom—my best friend and greatest advocate—was diagnosed with breast cancer. Having lost my dad to a brain tumor when I was 10, and my grandmother years later, this news was devastating. But my mom fought hard. She went through a double mastectomy, hysterectomy (preventative - my grandma also had ovarian cancer), chemo, radiation, and years of recovery. For seven years, she was in remission, and we celebrated every milestone.
I’ll never forget the day she was so proud of losing 10 pounds during a planking challenge with her girlfriends. But my aunt, who had worked as a nurse for over 30 years, knew something was off. “There’s no way you lost that weight just planking,” she said. My mom, initially thinking my aunt (also participating in the challenge) was just envious of her planking success, went back to the doctor, and we received the news that the cancer had returned—this time, it had metastasized to her bones (hindsight, she would have preferred ovarian cancer).
My mom passed a year later. Her final days, much like my grandmother's, were spent at home, surrounded by love and laughter, family and friends. We gave her the peace of passing in familiar surroundings, with a cup of champagne—complete with a straw—so she could still join in on the celebration of life we had going on around her. Even in death, she remained full of grace and joy, a light for all of us.
Losing both my grandmother and my mother to breast cancer was shattering, but it also shaped who I am. It gave me strength I didn’t know I had and taught me the importance of community, love, and care.
About a year after I lost my mom, I found myself at a Rotary meeting. I was lost, searching for something to hold onto, some glimmer of hope in a very dark time. And honestly, that’s exactly what I found. Rotary—and all of you—helped me find light again. Through service, through connection, and through the shared mission of making the world a better place, I rediscovered my purpose.
As we enter Breast Cancer Awareness Month, let’s remember not just the fight against this disease, but also the incredible strength of those who battle it. Let’s honor their memory, their love, and their light—and let that inspire us to continue to make a difference in the world.
- Breann Wright, President, Rotary Club of Medford (and pictured: My beautiful Mama, Sandy Monday)
