ATLANTA, Ga. (AP) – The Scalise sisters from Smyrna fight back tears when talking about the day six years ago when their mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Samantha, Lauren and Emilie were only 15, 13 and 11. Mom Stephanie was 43 and had just seen her own mother through treatments for the same disease.
“It was a very difficult, emotional time,” said Samantha, now a senior at the University of Tennessee. “And while Mom was the one diagnosed with breast cancer, our whole family felt the effects.”
In recent years, the Scalise sisters have chosen to focus on how thankful they are that their mother hasn’t just survived – but has thrived – since her double mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, and other recovery challenges. And they are channeling their gratitude into fundraising for a nonprofit that Stephanie Scalise says was integral to her recovery.
Since 2017, their annual Strides for Survivors Walk has raised nearly $50,000 for TurningPoint Breast Cancer Rehabilitation in Atlanta, which takes patients regardless of their ability to pay.