Jamie felt a lump in her breast last December, after finishing her 22-mile training run for her first-ever marathon. After a month of hoping the lump would recede, it did not; thus began her journey with breast cancer. A 33-year old wife and mother of two, ages 6 and 4, is the last person you would expect to be battling breast cancer. Jamie faced it with unbelievable courage. Her treatment started with chemo - so she took charge, cutting her stunning long red hair before the chemo claimed it. As we went shopping for scarves, and before she cut her hair, an innocent gentlemen approached her to compliment her beautiful mane - if he only knew why we were at the mall that day. Once the hair really started falling out - she shaved it herself. She never wanted to relinquish more control to the cancer than necessary. She continued to work through her 4-months of chemo. She opted to have a double-mastectomy. She did not want to give cancer a chance to regain control of her life ever again. She will have her implants placed the day after Christmas. All through this journey, Jamie has faced it with grace and courage. As people offer their well-indented, but sometimes stinging opinions of what caused her cancer - stress, diet, etc (as if she herself had something to do with causing the disease); or those who told her that berries and herbs were sufficient to cure her, she moved forward and found the best path for her own self. I have always loved and admired Jamie. We have been best friends for over five years now. Seeing her bravery during this past year has set me back, almost knocking me off of my feet. She is my inspiration for living a positive life. She inspires me to learn to deal with life's hardships by seeking the best (though maybe not the easiest) alternatives to move past the hardships, and placing value on your own path - not the one that others may choose for you.

Signed,
Karen Dada