With Survivors In Step, Lorelei McGlade Remains In Fight Against Breast Cancer
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Mother's Day has always been a day to celebrate breast cancer survivors. This year, there's a bit of a change. Out with the "Race For The Cure," in with the "More Than Pink Walk."
For Lorelei McGlade, she knows firsthand how important it is to raise money to find a cure.
McGlade, a mother of two young girls, was only 42 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer during a routine mammogram.
"It was shocking, it was emotional," McGlade said. "It was quite the journey, but my personality is the type that I'm like, 'Let's get going with this, I have to be here for them.'"
McGlade underwent chemotherapy and surgery and has been in remission for 14 years.
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She's a survivor, but it's the thought of her girls that keeps her in the fight against breast cancer.
"She said, 'When am I going to get breast cancer?'" McGlade said. "I started crying and said, 'You're not going to get breast cancer, honey, it's just me.'"
A world without breast cancer for her girls is what McGlade is fighting for, and it's what drove her to work with Susan G. Komen Philadelphia.
"For her to say to me, 'When am I going to get this breast cancer?' I want to do something," she said. "I didn't know how to do it, where do I start. Honestly, I met Elaine."
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Elaine Grobman is the CEO of Susan G. Komen Philadelphia.
McGlade attended the race that very first year with her girls and walked her first survivor's walk.
She was eventually the co-chair, but fundraising is where she really found her niche.
"For me, fundraising was my thing because we can't do all those other things unless we have money," McGlade said, "so what can I do to help?"
What she eventually came up with was a "Dancing With The Stars"-style competition and gala that she called Survivors In Step.
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"I loved the show and one day I'm sitting there, 'What if I could do a dance thing?'" McGlade said. "Get breast cancer survivors to dance with pro dancers. I approached them, came up with a concept, talked about it and they loved the idea so we did it."
"The first year was unbelievable," she added, "it was like, 'Wow, I didn't expect it to be this successful.'"
McGlade just recently hosted her third Survivors In Step competition, which raised $15,000 for Susan G. Komen Philadelphia.
Her vision is to get breast cancer survivors on stage showing off their strength for a cause.
"Survivors In Step, together to do something, raise money, awareness, whatever," McGlade said. "It's a perfect concept."
At this year's "More Than Pink Walk," McGlade will be sharing her story, supported by her family. She hopes to inspire a new generation of women to unite in ending breast cancer once and for all.
"I'd like to think that I'm an example of, you can do so many things to help other people and there is life after breast cancer," McGlade said.
