TOLEDO, Ohio — About 43,250 women in the U.S. are expected to die by the end of this year due to complications from breast cancer.
By comparison, that would be like wiping out every single person in Findlay, and then some.
The statistics show women are dying from the disease because of a lack of access to care.
Jackie Hylant Berenzweig is a breast cancer fighter and was convinced she wasn’t going to let herself be another statistic.
"I was so adamant that I didn't want that to happen to me,” she said. “I was my own best advocate."
Hylant Berenzweig had to be a fighter because her family history with breast cancer goes back years. Her sister, Polly Hylant-Tracy, was a mother of three when she was diagnosed at age 35. Polly lost her battle in 1990, and in 1991, became the namesake behind Toledo's Pollyball breast cancer fundraiser.
Jackie is also a mother of three and was diagnosed just six years ago. But today, she is cancer-free, and this year's 29th Race for the Cure means so much to her.
"There's nothing better than if you're a survivor going to race day," she said. "And every year you're getting a mark, 'okay, it's one more year, it's one more race, I've made it.' (It) is the best feeling in the entire world, and then to be able to do that around your closest friends and family, there's really nothing better."
Coming out of the pandemic, Susan G. Komen Northwest Ohio Executive Director, Gretchen Awad, said the race is a wonderful community event. But, she said it also serves a bigger purpose as an annual reminder of the struggle women diagnosed with breast cancer face.
Awad said Susan G. Komen NWO hears many stories, like "'I haven't gotten a mammogram' or ' I did have something that I didn't follow up with my doctor about.'"
Then, Awad and her team are able to get those women the help they need.
“We hear stories like that over and over, it's one of the blessings of my job," she said. "People will come up to me and say, 'you don't know me but I know you, let me tell you what Race for the Cure did for me.'"
The national Susan G. Komen foundation is the second largest non-profit breast cancer researcher next to the federal government. And Awad draws attention to Komen's 360-degree approach to someday living in a world without the disease.
"We want to make sure that we're following the path to make sure that every woman and man has equal and equitable access to healthcare," Awad said. "Not every race event in the country did come back, but we did and the national organization recognized the importance of this strong community, and what Race for the Cure means for this community."
What does it mean for someone who is not only a survivor, but also a fighter, like Jackie Hylant Berenzweig?
"The day of the race, as a survivor, as a current fighter, as someone who's lost a loved one, it's a great time to be surrounded to celebrate in their memory or honor. To offer support to someone going through a current battle,” she said.
Awad said it's hard to believe next year will mark the 30th Race for the Cure in this community.
But, she points out, the community rallied to make it happen this year. Awad said the community made everything possible, from the sponsors to the registrations to the volunteers.
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