Cathy and Cindy
Left
to right: Betty (mother), Cathy, and Cindy McIntosh
By Cindy, a participant from South Carolina
My name is Cindy Sharpe McIntosh and I am in my second year of participation in The Sister Study. My only sibling, Cathy Sharpe, was diagnosed with infiltrating ductal carcinoma two years ago January 8, 2007*. I am hoping and praying that Cathy will agree to participate in the Two Sister Study and that her fight is not over just yet. She has fought long and hard and kept her sense of humor through many, many radiations and chemotherapies. Our dad died sixteen years ago after having had lung, liver and colon cancer. He survived fifteen years after his initial diagnosis of lung cancer, during which he participated in experimental treatments. Who knows, some of the things that were learned through Daddy's treatments may have been used in treating Cathy! I commend all of the research that is constantly coming up with new medications to fight this awful disease! Our Mom is 85 and still going strong. After all, she really did drink from The Fountain of Youth when she was on her honeymoon in Florida! God willing, Cathy will have her 51st birthday in May. All of her life, Cathy has been an amazing RN and one of the ER charge nurses for nearly twenty-five years! Many times the doctors working with her have declared that they wished they could clone her! She really should have been a doctor! She has such a wonderful way with people and I'm very proud of her. She's our first phone call for help when we get any kind of injury or sickness. Although we've not been that close throughout our lives, her absence is going to make one giant hole in my life. Cathy can smile through anything!
May God bless all the research and all the participants in these studies. We have to find the causes!*Story Update: Sadly, Cathy died March 16, 2009