JEAN PEELEN
Helping Us Reach
Sisters Aged 55-74
Four years ago, two friends and I were writing a book about our experience of being over 50. My co-authors wanted to have a chapter on breast cancer. One co-author is a survivor and the other lost her best friend, at age 47, to breast cancer. “But,” I said, “I have no direct experience with breast cancer. I would have nothing to write.”
Several months later, my younger sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. Ten months later my older sister was diagnosed. Suddenly, and shockingly, I was connected to breast cancer. I watched my sisters go through mastectomies, chemotherapy, and radiation. I watched them be sick, exhausted, unable to think. I saw the effect of breast cancer on their spirits and their families.
For 25 years, I was a civil rights lawyer. I am hard-wired to react strongly to unfairness. I see my mission in life as giving voice to the voiceless. Yet here I was, unable to do more than hold my sisters’ hands. I was frustrated at being unable to do more.
Then I heard about the Sister Study. I tried to join the Sister Study before they were even accepting women from my area! “Please,” I said. “Put me on the wait list.” And surely they did, and I got to join the study. Some of my frustration was relieved.
About six months later, the Sister Study people contacted me to see whether I would be willing to help enroll women over 55 to the study. Hallelujah! Another active way to support my sisters.
Finally, two things. First, our book, Invisible No More: The Secret Lives of Women Over 50 was published this year and has a powerful chapter on breast cancer that I hope will convince women everywhere to get active about this scourge.
Second, last December my older daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thank God it was tiny and caught early. My younger daughter joined the Sister Study immediately.
So, we are a Sister Study family. Each of my daughters has three daughters. My daughters and I are committed to support the effort to find the causes of breast cancer before my six granddaughters are eligible to experience it.