Rhonda Croghan admits living with metastatic breast cancer is a challenge.
"I have my good days and my bad days, but every day is a new day for me," she said.
"I'm grateful for every day that I have. And I just wanted to tell people about living with breast cancer because your life doesn't end right there."
Croghan, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, will be a guest speaker locally for the CIBC Run for the Cure event in North Bay which takes place on Sunday, Oct. 6 at the North Bay waterfront.
She was at a media conference Monday morning at CIBC downtown where Mayor Peter Chirico proclaimed this week "Think Pink Week" in the city of North Bay.
"I'm not cured because I do have still cancer on my bones, but I am taking chemotherapy treatment and hormone therapy treatment to help stabilize and not have the cancer progress in my body. So yeah, living day by day," she admits.
This year, the Canadian Cancer Society CIBC Run for the Cure is celebrating 33 years of bringing hope to thousands of people across the country who have been affected by breast cancer.
Melanie Gainforth is one of the organizers of the local event.
The statistics indicate 1 in 8 women expected to face a diagnosis in their lifetime showing that breast cancer affects many.
She says the disease does hit close to home as Croghan is one of many breast cancer survivors in the community.
"We are very grateful to be able to invite her to share her story and to give us inspiration and hope and a reason for fundraising," she said.
Gainforth believes the many years of fundraising do have an impact.
"So 20 years ago, the drug Tamoxifen was in studies, then it is now a course of treatment, and women who are diagnosed with breast cancer do take tamoxifen as a preventative measure after their treatment. That is a remarkable thing and it is saving lives."
For more information or to register visit CIBCRunForTheCure.com.
