Love Local, Concord: Julie Hagan

Hello everyone, I’m Julie Hagan, and I’m honored to be here
tonight with all of you. Thank you, Olivia and Runway for
Recovery, for inviting me to share my story in this wonderful
community.

Two years ago, instead of being here with you at this Love
Local Event, I was at home with my husband Cary and our two
daughters, Brenna and Addison, processing the fact that I was
just diagnosed with breast cancer.

Breast cancer wasn’t something I expected. It doesn’t run in
my family, and I got my yearly checkups. Yet, THERE IT WAS,
detected through a routine mammogram. My diagnosis was
Ductal Carcinoma in Situ (DCIS), the earliest form of breast
cancer. My doctor described it as “if you were going to get
breast cancer, this is the one you want.”

All the typical feelings ran through me.
SHOCK
DISBELIEF
FEAR
SADNESS
and ANXIETY.
But, then I asked myself “Why me?” as in “what do I do next?”
I thought about Cary and our girls and how I wanted to show
them how strong I am. I decided to share my story, spread
awareness, and turn this negative into a positive. If my story
could help just ONE PERSON, it would all be worth it.

A short time later I had a lumpectomy and was told, that since
the biopsy, the tumor had progressed to Invasive Ductal
Carcinoma (IDC). My cancerous tumor was about the size of
the little pink bead you are holding but the TUMOR BURST
and cancerous cells had started to spread, potentially reaching
my lymph nodes if left undetected. I was SHOCKED that it
progressed so quickly and want to communicate to you how
TIME…REALLY…MATTERS…
DO…NOT…PROCRASTINATE
…for me, if I had waited just weeks..
THIS MAY HAVE ENDED BADLY

Please take out your cell phones.
Open your calendar for tomorrow
and type “Schedule mammogram”
Now, take a selfie or a group photo.
Please post it tonight when you get home, tagging Runway for
Recovery to share with your friends about this incredible
organization and to remind others to get their mammograms
because again,
TIME…REALLY…MATTERS
Luckily they were able to remove all of the cancer and my
margins were clean.
I spent my summer recovering from surgery and undergoing
radiation treatments.

So then I asked myself what else can I do? I’m participating in
my 8th Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk – 26.2 miles to
FIGHT CANCER! Although we have made strides,
WE NEED TO FIND A CURE

Then I heard about RUNWAY FOR RECOVERY. Olivia’s work
is INCREDIBLE! I knew I had to be involved. So, I said yes to
sharing my story tonight and walking the runway last October.

There was this one moment backstage that touched me
deeply. A little boy and girl were practicing their runway dance
moves with their dad. I realized later they were a Runway for
Recovery family who lost their mom to breast cancer. Seeing
their strength INSPIRED ME. That’s why I’ll be walking the
Runway again this October. Join us, it is an AMAZING EVENT.

My message TO YOU TONIGHT is:
SCHEDULE MAMMOGRAMS
GET CHECKUPS
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH POSITIVITY
ORDER THE DESSERT
BOOK THAT TRIP
AND GO ZIPLINING…WHY NOT?
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING