33 Pink Carnations

For my mom….. she’s a “survivor”. 

This blog post is not photography related and is on a more personal level but, it’s also a topic that I felt is very important to share.  Not only because it’s something that has become a part of my life but because it’s also a public service announcement of sorts.  My family is very blessed.  We have never been through very many tragic events in our lives until this past year.  Yes, we have lost loved ones and we miss them.  However, all of these loses were some what expected.  But, that all changed this past July when I lost my Grandma.  She passed away suddenly and it turned all of us inside out.  Then a few short months after my Grandma passed away, my mom was told she had breast cancer.  It was a shock.  WHAT?  Breast cancer is hereditary!  Nobody in our family had breast cancer!  Talk about denial.  As we found out the hard way, it CAN happen.

So, in October, my mom had surgery to remove the lump.  At this point, she was very lucky and they were able to get it all with a lumpectomy.  She started radiation treatments on December 17th and I am very happy to announce that she had her 33 and “final” treatment on Friday Feb. 08.

When you hear talk about early detection, well, that played a huge part in my mothers survival.  Yearly mammograms are very important and that is what saved her life…. that and the will to fight.  Cancer is not a choice.  But, the way you choose to deal with it, fight or give in…. is a choice.  She choose to fight and I am very proud of her. 

So, these 33 pink carnation = 33 cancer treatments and one red rose in the middle = her strength. 

Thank-you to everyone for your prayers and your support. And mom, I love you.  ~Kimberly