CHICAGO'S QUILTED NORTHERN SOFT & STRONG® CHAMPION - JUDY and STACEY LEONARD
Judy and Stacey Leonard, a mother-daughter team, are on a mission to find a cure for breast cancer. Judy, diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 52, endured four rounds of chemo, radical mastectomy and 38 rounds of radiation through the course of one year. Today, she and her daughter are a big part of the Susan G. Komen Chicago affiliate. The duo is always the first to roll-up their sleeves, and both are very thankful for the chance to volunteer and support this cause together.
"It was May 1999, on my mother's 83rd birthday, when we received the news of my diagnosis of inflammatory breast cancer. We had three children ages, 17, 13 and 10, a business to run, and I had a full-time job. This was not the time to be sick!"
"There was hardly any information about my particular kind of breast cancer - about one paragraph to be exact. And, what we did read did not give me a good prognosis. Inflammatory breast cancer is very aggressive, and most women diagnosed with this form of cancer did not survive more than a year. I was concerned about myself but more for my kids' future."
"I remember in the beginning telling my husband 'I will not say, why me. I was chosen to have this for some reason. I do not know why, but I was chosen.' After taking a year of my life to gain more years of my life - I can say I am a survivor!"
"My first Komen race I walked with a friend and could barely make the finish line. The next year I became a race volunteer and have been a volunteer for the last eight years. This was just one way I could "pay it forward" since there would be no way for me to repay all those friends and family members that helped me during my battle."
"I hope my support and activism to find a cure spreads the word about breast cancer and educates women that all breast cancer does not start with a lump. Inflammatory breast cancer is aggressive and often misdiagnosed or missed in its early stages. I am one of the lucky ones and want to make sure women have the information I didn't have." - Judy Leonard
"At the time of my mom's diagnosis and through her treatment I was very uneducated about the illness. I was not aware of the severity of this form of cancer nor her day-to-day triumphs. As I am getting older, I am learning about early detection, signs and symptoms, and treatments."
"Breast cancer has affected not only my mother but other women in my family as well. Volunteering with Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is a way for my mom and me to celebrate her remission together. This will continue every year!" - Stacey Leonard
Judy is the creative talent behind the Survivor Café decorations at the Susan G. Komen Chicago Race for the Cure event. She has handcrafted all table decorations for the past eight years.
Stacey has been a volunteer since high school and works closely with national Race for the Cure sponsors each year.
Georgia-Pacific is proud to call Judy and Stacey Leonard our Quilted Northern Soft & Strong® Champions.
