Meet Joan Saperstein, the 2009 Honorary Team New Balance member

New Balance is proud to celebrate 20 years of partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and to recognize breast cancer survivors across the country.  The 2009 Honorary Team New Balance member is Joan Saperstein. 

Joan Saperstein discovered a lump in her breast a month before her daughter's wedding two years ago and was diagnosed with breast cancer. She and her husband decided to keep it a secret until after her daughter and her new son in law returned from their honeymoon because they wanted the wedding to be a happy affair.  It was going to be a special day in their lives and she didn't want to ruin it with the traumatic news.        
 
This past May, just before the birth of her first grandchild, she found another lump in the same breast.  Her first grandson was born on June 30th and she had a mastectomy on July 17th. Although she knew that one in eight women will get breast cancer in their lifetime, she never thought it would happen to her.  She exercised, ate a well balanced diet and had yearly mammograms.  She knew that being female and getting older alone increased her risk and she also has dense breasts which increases the risk of breast cancer because cancer can be hard to detect on a mammogram.  Joan urges women to insist on getting copies of test results and to be aggressive about getting further ultrasounds and breast MRI's if they find any irregularities.  In addition, she would recommend getting a second opinion about any concerns.
 
This is the third year Joan has walked in the Milwaukee Komen Race for the Cure.  She participates because she doesn't want anyone else to suffer from this disease.  She wants all women to be aware that if it happened to her, it can happen to anyone.  When she walks with her team, "Friends for Life", she feels the support and love of friends and family who have joined the team or donated in her honor.  They give her the strength to continue to fight this disease.

We forget this is a disease that kills one woman every 75 seconds and that woman could be you, your mother or your daughter.  Joan walks every year because everyone deserves a lifetime. Join the Komen Milwaukee Race for the Cure® and start fighting for the right to a lifetime of health and happiness.