Malden resident 'Making Strides' to end pain & suffering of breast cancer

“I lost my mother [in 1984] to breast cancer at the young age of 38. Being diagnosed with breast cancer was so different then; it was almost a death sentence. Thanks to the American Cancer Society and events like Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, this is no longer true. There is hope. I am proof.”

Dorothy Bishop, a two-time survivor who participated in her first Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Boston walk in 2015, had seen her mother, her paternal grandmother and friends struggle with breast cancer. Still, it was unexpected in 2000 at age 35 when she felt a heaviness in her chest and found a lump.

Treatments including chemotherapy and radiation kept her out of work for nearly a year, but she got back into shape, “stronger than ever,” she said.

Then, in 2014, as part of a routine check-up, she opted to have a 3D mammogram, which identified ductal carcinoma. “I thought, ‘Oh my God, here I go again’,” said Dorothy.

Dorothy had a mastectomy and went through chemotherapy. She also experienced a lot of pain the second time around.

“It was a very bad winter. I struggled to do things because of being tired. You feel alone when you are crying in pain at night, trying to maintain your lifestyle before cancer.”

Dorothy has had a great deal of support from the American Cancer Society over the years, in the form of valuable information from Cancer.org, skin care and cosmetology advice from the Look Good Feel Better program and services including help locating a new place to live on short notice.

She got involved with Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Boston through co-workers and now enjoys fundraising to get others involved in fighting the disease. She also implores her friends and family to get screened. She is back to work and has a good quality of life.

Reflecting on her journey while preparing to be a speaker at the 2016 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Boston Kickoff, Dorothy reflected, “Here I am. Now, my tears are of joy. It is beautiful.”

This year’s event is set for Sunday, Oct. 2, at 8 a.m., at the DCR Hatch Shell in Boston. Last year’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Boston saw approximately 40,000 walkers raise about $2.5 million.

Since 1993, more than 12 million Making Strides Against Breast Cancer participants have helped raise more than $750 million to create a world free from the pain and suffering caused by breast cancer. The noncompetitive two- to five-mile walks are held in nearly 300 communities nationwide. Last year, 1.4 million walkers raised more than $60 million. Dollars raised help the American Cancer Society ensure no one faces breast cancer alone by funding innovative breast cancer research, promoting education and risk reduction and providing comprehensive patient support to those who need it most.

For more information about breast cancer or the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Boston, visit www.MakingStridesWalk.org/BostonMA or call 800-227-2345.