Pennington #LightUpMBC Fun Run

Sheetal Dewan I was 37, a mom of 2 little boys, when I first got the Stage 4 MBC diagnosis after a self exam. The Cancer had already spread to the liver.

I was fortunate for the first couple years with an oral pill and minor side effects. But with each passing surgery (mastectomy, reconstruction, replacement, hysterectomy) and treatment (radiations, chemotherapies) the side effects get harsher and quality of life takes a toll.

This is my 5th year living through MBC and I'm already on my 8th line of treatment. Of the 7 treatments; therapies and trials; some have worked for a year to keep the tumor at bay and some didn't work at all.

With each treatment that stops working comes the scary feeling of what happens when the options run out?

I lost my grandmother to breast cancer. I have inherited the BRCA2 gene mutation that made me 80% more likely to get breast cancer. Will my young boys or their children inherit the same gene? What will their prognosis be?

We need more research, we need a cure, but at the very least we need more drugs and treatment options to make living with this disease palatable.

If not for me, I hope our children and the future generation can live a healthy purposeful life free of this disease.

Tami Eagle Bowling At the age of 41, I heard the words "you have cancer" that changed my life forever. During a routine mammogram, breast cancer was discovered. Since it was also in my lymph nodes, a pet scan was ordered that determined my stage 4 metastatic breast cancer (MBC) diagnosis. My children were just 2 and 4 years old at the time. Even though there is no cure, I was told that I could start an oral chemotherapy that had just been approved by the FDA 3 months prior to my diagnosis.. This treatment has helped me surpass the 3 year life expectancy and is still keeping me alive today. That is the power of research and why it is so critical to keep funding the pipeline. Every night I have the same dream about scientists who have figured out a way to end death from breast cancer. My children have so much to learn about the world and I want to be the one to teach them. I am grateful for every minute of every day.

I recently spoke to several scientists whose work was funded by METAvivor. The progress they are making for the stage 4 breast cancer community is made possible by your generosity. Thank you so much for supporting my efforts to fund critical MBC research.

Monica S

At 47 year of age, life for me was going smooth till November 2020, when I felt a lump in my right breast. with COVID still looming on our heads, getting appointments and hospital visits were tough. In addition to dealing with the trauma of the pandemic, the tests revealed the worst news : "Stage 4 BC." I was shattered. I have no family history. I've already been though 6 rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and currently on Herceptin and Perjeta. With God's grace the disease is stable for now. My Family, my co-workers, friends and my faith have bene my support structure. I support this fundraiser so that families that are currently living with this disease find the hope that there will be research to help thrive through and one day even fight this monstrous illness for good.

Stephanie Chorney To her family, friends, and many colleagues on countless community projects, Stephanie Chorney was a born nurturer whose devotion to helping others defined her life. A pediatrician who worked at Princeton Medicine Princeton Health until retiring five years ago, Chorney died of metastatic breast cancer on September 29, 2020 at the age of 50.

Admiration for her was such that Princeton Public Schools and the municipality issued a special proclamation in her honor, naming May 26, 2020 “Dr. Stephanie Chorney Day.”

She was someone who inspired and healed many, physically and emotionally. Those who did not know her will feel the impact she left through her philanthropic work and teachings. Before she died, she reflected on her life. She said, ‘Actually, I am in control of each day and I’m choosing to live, love, and help others as much as I can.’

Liz Johnson Liz Johnson was diagnosed with #MBC in 2015 with bone mets to the sternum, ribs and spine. For the first 7 years she lived a healthy normal life giving her the chance to advocate for resources for #MBC, creating awareness and working with other advocates to raise money and educate through organizations such as NJ METAvivor. In 2021, the disease entered a more aggressive phase plaguing bone marrow and blood vessels. Visit her blog at breastcancerconscript.com to read about the tough fight she gave this terrible disease. RIP.

• 685,000 people a year die from metastatic breast cancer globally
• Only 22% of U.S. MBC patients live longer than 5 years, and only 11% of live longer than 10 years
• 98% of all breast cancer related deaths are from MBC
• Less than 5% of overall breast cancer funding is currently allocated to researching metastatic breast cancer.
• There is NO CURE for MBC

#LightUpMBC is an annual global landmark campaign that shines a light on the importance of awareness and funding for metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Every state in the U.S. and countries around the world illuminate landmarks in the symbolic MBC awareness colors of teal, green and pink on October 13th for Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day.

A virtual broadcast, #LightUpMBC Live, will take place on October 13, 2023 at 8:30 PM ET/ 5:30 PM PT and will feature inspiring stories told by MBC patients at illuminated landmarks and include celebrity guests sharing words of inspiration. The show will be live streamed through LiveOne and viewable on all METAvivor channels including Facebook Live and YouTube @METAvivor and at www.METAvivor.org/LightUpMBC