SWFL “Making Strides” walk to fight cancer

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American women.

It’s an illness that has no boundaries.

A survivor is making the plea now, that you join her in kicking off the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” campaign.

“You kind of get this hot, cold, all the blood runs to your feet kind of feeling and you’re just like shocked a little, like ‘woah,'” said Stephanie Wood after she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She found out right before her 32nd birthday.

“I had felt a lump for months and I just ignored, kind of in denial a little, like we just got dad through this,” she said.

Six months later and one week after finishing chemo therapy, she was out and walking for the fight against cancer.

It was a walk she had participated in before, just to help out, but this time around it was personal.

“All those people, and people you don’t know, they see you’re a survivor or in treatment and they just want to give you a huge and encourage you,” she said.

While the emotional support is huge, the event is also a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society that provides patients with free rides to chemotherapy, free lodging during treatment and research for a cure.

• $35 pays for one-on-one peer support
• $50 pays for a free night of lodging
• $500 helps 3 just-diagnosed patients navigate the treatment process

“Every dollar, every hour, every minute donated makes a big difference in somebody’s life,” Wood said.

The Making Strides walk is October 20 at Miromar Outlets, and fundraising has already begun. To participate, you can visit their website.