The K9 5K for Breast Cancer and the Pink Upside-Down Ribbon

“Why’d you wear your pink ribbon upside down?”

This was a question often thrown at Earlier.Org members. You see, unlike most charities, the supporters of Friends for an Earlier Breast Cancer Test wear their pink ribbons upside down.

The upside-down ribbon is a reflection of how the organization looks at breast cancer from a different perspective. It has somehow of a personal significance to Mandy LeBeau who was the designer of the logo. Mandy was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer at the age of 26. She was at the height of her life, never expecting to be a cancer patient before her 30^th birthday. Unfortunately, Mandy lost battle after 5 years.

These are the kind of women that Friends for an Earlier Breast Cancer Test stand for. They want us to know that breast cancer can happen to any woman, regardless of age or health. This also rings true also for the organization’s founder, the formidable Martha Kaley.

Martha lived a healthy life. She exercised regularly, ate well and did not have any history of breast cancer in her family. Her diagnosis came as a complete shock. Especially since it came not from her or from a doctor, but the family’s beloved Labrador, Sherlock.

In the early 90s, Martha and Sherlock were playing and out of nowhere, Sherlock scratched her chest. As she was inspecting the scratch, she noted a mass just beneath it. After consulting with her doctors, Martha was informed that the lump was non-cancerous but had to be removed.

After the procedure, Martha’s doctor came in to explain what happened inside the operating room. It turned out that after removing the mass, he was about to close her up when he decided to look around the cavity for safety. There, he found a malignant mass embedded in the breast tissue.

She literally owed Sherlock her life.

It was a life changing experience for Martha.  This was the reason why she set up the Sherlock 5K in honor of her beloved dog.

The event is to raise funds for the Friends for Earlier Breast Cancer Test so that more women can have the access to early diagnosis and treatment.

This event is happening this Saturday, September 23, 2017 from 10 am to 2 pm at Country Park in Greensboro, North Carolina. The main event is a 5K walk and run for the whole family and 4 legged friends.