(photo credit: Christopher O'Leary)

On March 7, join UCLA Professor of World Arts and Cultures and LACMA curator, Dr. Polly Roberts, at the Race for the Cure at Dodger Stadium.

Polly was diagnosed with Stage IV invasive ductal carcinoma on April 1, 2010, but it was no April Fool’s joke. Polly’s annual mammogram came back normal, but after finding a lump in her breast a few weeks later, she discovered that she not only had breast cancer but that she was metastatic—meaning her cancer had spread.

Being a metastatic breast cancer (MBC) “survivor” means that while you may never be in complete remission, it is increasingly possible to live a full and active life by keeping the illness under control through treatment. As Polly says, one can survive and thrive “by living from one discovery to another” and by developing personal coping strategies.  During the past three years, Komen LA has taken a leadership role in creating programs for metastatic patients and survivors that give voice to inspirational stories, share key resources and cultivate emotional well-being. Polly has played a key role in these outreach efforts.

Polly will be the Survivor Speaker at the opening ceremonies of the Komen LA Race for the Cure on March 7. This will be a call to action -- to bring the entire breast cancer community together and to emphasize the urgency of life-saving medications, while never giving up hope. She states that survival is about the importance of community and creating a voice that can ignite change and instigate action, and “about HOW we live, and how we are not alone as we race to fulfill the dream of a cancer-free world.”

Please join us at the Race on March 7 by registering online.*


*Note: Register online and save $5.  Race day registration fees will increase by $5 for day-of-race sign ups.