Breast Cancer Survivors In Colorado Gather For First Time In 2 Years: 'This Is An Emotional Moment'
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. (CBS4) — Nearly 1,000 people made their way around Fiddler's Green on Sunday morning in a sea of pink. Organizers were thrilled as the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk returned to Colorado, in person.
"This is our first event in two years, so it's awesome to see people coming together," said Shelby Dopp, Associate Director for American Cancer Society.
Survivor Lindsey Zahrte shared her story with CBS4's Mekialaya White after completing the walk. "I think my heart has grown three sizes this morning," she smiled.
For Zahrte, seeing so many fellow survivors was a powerful display of solidarity and support.
"This morning, my husband kissed me before we started the race and said, 'Thank you for still being here.' He said this is an emotional moment, and it really is."
She discovered she had breast cancer during a routine exam.
"So when I turned 40, I went in for my very first, what I thought was going to be a routine mammogram, that turned out to be anything but routine. With no family history, with no indication of anything being wrong, I was diagnosed with stage two triple positive invasive ductal carcinoma."
Her 15-month-long treatment journey began there. After six rounds of chemotherapy and four surgeries, she is now cancer-free.
"It was quite a battle, but I'm a wife and a mom, and I have a lot to live for. I fought tooth and nail through all of that treatment so I can spend the rest of my life with the people I love the most," said Zahrte.
Every day going forward, she vows to keep fighting alongside those loved ones and spreading awareness. "Early detection is everything. I know that it feels scary to go in and get a mammogram, and there's a lot of thoughts that getting a mammogram is painful, but it is absolutely worth it."
CBS4 is a proud sponsor of the event. To learn more about the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk and how you can become involved in the future, visit http://makingstrideswalk.org/Colorado or http://cancer.org.
Organizers are already looking ahead to 2022 and plan to have that event's date set in the next few months.