The diagnosis of cancer came as a shock, as it does not in any way run in my family. I fell in 2007 while walking a dog, was knocked out, laying on big stones that caused my right breast to bruise horribly. A year later in 2008, I had cancer in the spot that was bruised. It was a huge lump when it was found, was diagnosed as papilary carcinoma and removed. One lymph node was affected marginally, so I did 1 round of chemo & the full radiation treatment. My hair fell right out with only 1 chemo, but that didn't stop me from wanting to still help save my beloved Akitas no matter how bad I looked or felt. Here I am in the picture, no hair & looking sickly, but helping to save an Akita from his chain in a home in MD. I had to have other people driving me around, I was sick from the radiation & unable to concentrate all the time -- but cancer was NOT going to stop me from saving my Akitas!! I had to sit on a scooter to be interviewed by ANIMAL PLANET for DOGS: 101 due to my treatments & side effects, and I looked terrible with a bandana on -- but I was still able to talk about my beloved Akitas to help save them! CANCER CANNOT WIN!!

Kathy DeWees
Palmyra, NJ