Patty Fox will participate in her ninth Race for the Cure on June 4 as co-captain of Team P&J, which has a fundraising goal of $20,000.

Patty Fox. Submitted photo

Submitted

Breast cancer survivor Patty Fox, 46, of West Hartford is participating in the 23rd annual Susan G. Komen Southern New England Race for the Cure Greater Hartford raising funds with her team for local breast cancer programs and research. Fox serves as co-captain with friend and fellow breast cancer survivor Jeanne Pascon, also of West Hartford.

“My friends started Team Patty after I was diagnosed and when Jeanne was diagnosed, we formed Team P&J,” said Fox. “We choose to do the Race because Komen provided so much support that I really needed when I was hit with a breast cancer diagnosis.”

Fox was diagnosed with Stage II breast cancer at age 38. “My primary care doctor originally found a lump. A mammogram the next day appeared clean,” Fox explained. “Only through an MRI and ultrasound was the cancer detected, due to my dense breast tissue.”

The cancer spread to lymph nodes in her arm. Fox went on to have two lumpectomies, four months of chemo, and two months of radiation. As a stay at home mom, she was primarily concerned with the impact on her kids. Fox is thankful every day that she was blessed with her two children before breast cancer took away her ability to have more.

This coming June will be Fox’s ninth Race for the Cure with her close-knit team, which has raised over $150,000 since their first Race. She says that being involved with Race for the Cure and Susan G. Komen Southern New England has given her valuable information, awareness, and support systems that cannot be beat. Fox chooses to continually support Komen Southern New England because she knows where the money goes. “The research in young women is extremely important.” Fox emphasized. “We continue to raise funds for that research and for the local programs made available to Connecticut residents.”

“At the end of the day I’m shocked to see how little I knew about breast cancer then compared to how much I know now,” she said. “I have to thank Komen for that.”

Race for the Cure Greater Hartford takes place on Saturday, June 4 at Bushnell Park. Race for the Cure is the signature fundraising event for Susan G. Komen.  The race includes a certified 5K run and 5K walk – a 3.1 mile course – participants can choose whether they would like to be timed. Youth under 16 may take part in the timed or untimed 5K or participate in the Kids’ 1K. Survivors are encouraged to join Komen Southern New England at the iHeart Media Survivor Breakfast beginning at 7 .m., followed by the survivor procession.

Seventy-five percent of Komen Southern New England’s net proceeds support local breast cancer programs across Connecticut and the remaining twenty-five percent is invested in research to find the causes and cures for the disease. For more information about Komen Southern New England’s mission, to register for the Race for the Cure or make a donation, visit KomenSouthernNewEngland.org.

About Susan G. Komen® Southern New England

Susan G. Komen Southern New England is working to better the lives of those facing breast cancer in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Through events like the Race for the Cure®, Komen Southern New England has raised money that has funded $11 million in community breast health programs in Connecticut, $9 million in Massachusetts, and nearly $7 million to support breast cancer research. For more information, visit KomenSouthernNewEngland.org.

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