[Applause] thank you good afternoon I’m here today
thank you good afternoon I’m here today
thank you good afternoon I’m here today because I believe that everyone has a
because I believe that everyone has a
because I believe that everyone has a story and I’d like to share a small
story and I’d like to share a small
story and I’d like to share a small portion of my story with you 17 years
portion of my story with you 17 years
portion of my story with you 17 years ago at the age of 31 I was diagnosed
ago at the age of 31 I was diagnosed
ago at the age of 31 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and well at the time
with breast cancer and well at the time
with breast cancer and well at the time that seems like a scary diagnosis we
that seems like a scary diagnosis we
that seems like a scary diagnosis we weren’t entirely surprised 12 years
weren’t entirely surprised 12 years
weren’t entirely surprised 12 years prior to that my mom had been diagnosed
prior to that my mom had been diagnosed
prior to that my mom had been diagnosed with breast cancer
with breast cancer
with breast cancer a scary part at that time for my husband
a scary part at that time for my husband
a scary part at that time for my husband and I when we sat in the doctor’s office
and I when we sat in the doctor’s office
and I when we sat in the doctor’s office was actually looking at the doctor and
was actually looking at the doctor and
was actually looking at the doctor and the urgency in her voice and actually
the urgency in her voice and actually
the urgency in her voice and actually the tears in her eyes she said that
the tears in her eyes she said that
the tears in her eyes she said that surgery had to occur as soon as possible
surgery had to occur as soon as possible
surgery had to occur as soon as possible and that treatment would follow the time
and that treatment would follow the time
and that treatment would follow the time between the diagnosis and my actual
between the diagnosis and my actual
between the diagnosis and my actual surgery was four days in those four days
surgery was four days in those four days
surgery was four days in those four days time seemed to pass very slowly it’s
time seemed to pass very slowly it’s
time seemed to pass very slowly it’s kind of a blur when I think back to that
kind of a blur when I think back to that
kind of a blur when I think back to that time but there’s one thing that was
time but there’s one thing that was
time but there’s one thing that was really clear during that time and our
really clear during that time and our
really clear during that time and our girls were really little we had a three
girls were really little we had a three
girls were really little we had a three month old little girl we had a 2 year
month old little girl we had a 2 year
month old little girl we had a 2 year old little girl I can remember strangely
old little girl I can remember strangely
old little girl I can remember strangely enough going to the grocery store and
enough going to the grocery store and
enough going to the grocery store and passing by complete strangers and
passing by complete strangers and
passing by complete strangers and thinking they have no idea which has
thinking they have no idea which has
thinking they have no idea which has happened to me yesterday and I looked at
happened to me yesterday and I looked at
happened to me yesterday and I looked at them and I wondered I wonder what their
them and I wondered I wonder what their
them and I wondered I wonder what their story is I wonder if they have an
story is I wonder if they have an
story is I wonder if they have an amazing happy story something wonderful
amazing happy story something wonderful
amazing happy story something wonderful happened in their life I wonder if they
happened in their life I wonder if they
happened in their life I wonder if they have a sad story they lost a loved one
have a sad story they lost a loved one
have a sad story they lost a loved one or perhaps maybe they have a scary
or perhaps maybe they have a scary
or perhaps maybe they have a scary medical diagnosis ahead of them as well
medical diagnosis ahead of them as well
medical diagnosis ahead of them as well but what was clear to me at that time
but what was clear to me at that time
but what was clear to me at that time things changed and honestly I’ve never
things changed and honestly I’ve never
things changed and honestly I’ve never looked at a stranger the same and it’s
looked at a stranger the same and it’s
looked at a stranger the same and it’s something that I always play over and
something that I always play over and
something that I always play over and over again in my head so as the years
over again in my head so as the years
over again in my head so as the years went by it’s something that you don’t
went by it’s something that you don’t
went by it’s something that you don’t think about as much and it’s something
think about as much and it’s something
think about as much and it’s something that you just deal with with your family
that you just deal with with your family
that you just deal with with your family and I had so much love and so much
and I had so much love and so much
and I had so much love and so much support that they got us through a very
support that they got us through a very
support that they got us through a very difficult time and for that I’m very
difficult time and for that I’m very
difficult time and for that I’m very thankful
thankful
thankful well today we’re here at Cranbrook to
well today we’re here at Cranbrook to
well today we’re here at Cranbrook to talk about empathy and I think empathy
talk about empathy and I think empathy
talk about empathy and I think empathy is the ability to put ourselves in
is the ability to put ourselves in
is the ability to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes and understand
someone else’s shoes and understand
someone else’s shoes and understand exactly how they feel what they’re
exactly how they feel what they’re
exactly how they feel what they’re feeling what their concerns are and as
feeling what their concerns are and as
feeling what their concerns are and as much as we’d love to think we can always
much as we’d love to think we can always
much as we’d love to think we can always empathize with anybody we don’t always
empathize with anybody we don’t always
empathize with anybody we don’t always have that ability we haven’t experienced
have that ability we haven’t experienced
have that ability we haven’t experienced the same thing so I kind of feel that
the same thing so I kind of feel that
the same thing so I kind of feel that there’s a fine line between empathy and
there’s a fine line between empathy and
there’s a fine line between empathy and sympathy I can remember having to tell
sympathy I can remember having to tell
sympathy I can remember having to tell people in my family or friends what had
people in my family or friends what had
people in my family or friends what had happened in the diagnosis and at that
happened in the diagnosis and at that
happened in the diagnosis and at that time I felt so bad because there’s that
time I felt so bad because there’s that
time I felt so bad because there’s that split second when you tell somebody and
split second when you tell somebody and
split second when you tell somebody and they want to say the right thing and
they want to say the right thing and
they want to say the right thing and they don’t know exactly what to say they
they don’t know exactly what to say they
they don’t know exactly what to say they want to do the right thing and they
want to do the right thing and they
want to do the right thing and they don’t know exactly what to do but I can
don’t know exactly what to do but I can
don’t know exactly what to do but I can promise you that nobody during that time
promise you that nobody during that time
promise you that nobody during that time said the wrong thing or did the wrong
said the wrong thing or did the wrong
said the wrong thing or did the wrong thing they always did exactly what they
thing they always did exactly what they
thing they always did exactly what they needed to do and it helped this
needed to do and it helped this
needed to do and it helped this community of Cranbrook is full of people
community of Cranbrook is full of people
community of Cranbrook is full of people that surrounded my family during that
that surrounded my family during that
that surrounded my family during that time they’re empathetic they’re
time they’re empathetic they’re
time they’re empathetic they’re sympathetic they’re just kind caring
sympathetic they’re just kind caring
sympathetic they’re just kind caring Souls and they want to help well fast
Souls and they want to help well fast
Souls and they want to help well fast forward to 2009 and now our girls are
forward to 2009 and now our girls are
forward to 2009 and now our girls are grown up and they’re at Brookside and
grown up and they’re at Brookside and
grown up and they’re at Brookside and I’m back to doing what I love very much
I’m back to doing what I love very much
I’m back to doing what I love very much and that’s teaching in the classroom and
and that’s teaching in the classroom and
and that’s teaching in the classroom and at this point in 2009 I’ve been at
at this point in 2009 I’ve been at
at this point in 2009 I’ve been at Cranbrook for three years and I’m having
Cranbrook for three years and I’m having
Cranbrook for three years and I’m having a lunch conversation with somebody and I
a lunch conversation with somebody and I
a lunch conversation with somebody and I hear about the event Cranbrook envisions
hear about the event Cranbrook envisions
hear about the event Cranbrook envisions a cure currently the event has been
a cure currently the event has been
a cure currently the event has been going on this will be our ninth year
going on this will be our ninth year
going on this will be our ninth year this fall but at this point it was the
this fall but at this point it was the
this fall but at this point it was the inaugural year and Cranbrook envisions a
inaugural year and Cranbrook envisions a
inaugural year and Cranbrook envisions a cure is a time when the Cranbrook
cure is a time when the Cranbrook
cure is a time when the Cranbrook community comes together and other
community comes together and other
community comes together and other people outside of the community and we
people outside of the community and we
people outside of the community and we meet on this beautiful campus in the
meet on this beautiful campus in the
meet on this beautiful campus in the fall beside kingswood lake and families
fall beside kingswood lake and families
fall beside kingswood lake and families that have struggled with cancer or
that have struggled with cancer or
that have struggled with cancer or interested in finding a cure for cancer
interested in finding a cure for cancer
interested in finding a cure for cancer come together and share stories and walk
come together and share stories and walk
come together and share stories and walk together around kingswood Lake and I
together around kingswood Lake and I
together around kingswood Lake and I knew
knew
knew was something that I wanted to help with
was something that I wanted to help with
was something that I wanted to help with so I reached out to the lady that
so I reached out to the lady that
so I reached out to the lady that started it and she too was a breast
started it and she too was a breast
started it and she too was a breast cancer survivor and at the time worked
cancer survivor and at the time worked
cancer survivor and at the time worked at Brookside school and I asked if I
at Brookside school and I asked if I
at Brookside school and I asked if I could help well it’s eight years later
could help well it’s eight years later
could help well it’s eight years later and every year the event becomes more
and every year the event becomes more
and every year the event becomes more and more wonderful and a couple years
and more wonderful and a couple years
and more wonderful and a couple years ago we meet after the event every year
ago we meet after the event every year
ago we meet after the event every year and talk about what went well and what
and talk about what went well and what
and talk about what went well and what we could do better in the future and
we could do better in the future and
we could do better in the future and this one particular year we thought we
this one particular year we thought we
this one particular year we thought we would love more people to know about
would love more people to know about
would love more people to know about this event we want more people to be
this event we want more people to be
this event we want more people to be here because we would hear from them I
here because we would hear from them I
here because we would hear from them I wish I would have known I would have
wish I would have known I would have
wish I would have known I would have attended I had no idea that was going on
attended I had no idea that was going on
attended I had no idea that was going on and as a teacher in the upper school I
and as a teacher in the upper school I
and as a teacher in the upper school I thought maybe there was something that I
thought maybe there was something that I
thought maybe there was something that I could do we have many many clubs at
could do we have many many clubs at
could do we have many many clubs at Cranbrook upper school but we didn’t
Cranbrook upper school but we didn’t
Cranbrook upper school but we didn’t have this club Cranbrook and vision
have this club Cranbrook and vision
have this club Cranbrook and vision secure club and it just kind of flowed
secure club and it just kind of flowed
secure club and it just kind of flowed real nicely so I reached out to some
real nicely so I reached out to some
real nicely so I reached out to some students and with their help and their
students and with their help and their
students and with their help and their hard work and their determination we
hard work and their determination we
hard work and their determination we created two years ago Cranbrook
created two years ago Cranbrook
created two years ago Cranbrook envisions a cure Club in our first year
envisions a cure Club in our first year
envisions a cure Club in our first year we had a very successful fundraiser in
we had a very successful fundraiser in
we had a very successful fundraiser in this past fall we were able to give
this past fall we were able to give
this past fall we were able to give donations to four of the main charities
donations to four of the main charities
donations to four of the main charities that attended the event large donations
that attended the event large donations
that attended the event large donations and what’s special about that event each
and what’s special about that event each
and what’s special about that event each fall is every single charity that shows
fall is every single charity that shows
fall is every single charity that shows up at Cranbrook envisions a cure has a
up at Cranbrook envisions a cure has a
up at Cranbrook envisions a cure has a special Cranbrook connection to our
special Cranbrook connection to our
special Cranbrook connection to our community whether it’s an alum a student
community whether it’s an alum a student
community whether it’s an alum a student or a family that is struggled with
or a family that is struggled with
or a family that is struggled with cancer this year we’ve had another
cancer this year we’ve had another
cancer this year we’ve had another successful year with our club we have
successful year with our club we have
successful year with our club we have twenty members and the featured charity
twenty members and the featured charity
twenty members and the featured charity for this coming fall is Gilda’s Club
for this coming fall is Gilda’s Club
for this coming fall is Gilda’s Club next month the students of our club will
next month the students of our club will
next month the students of our club will Tran will travel to Royal Oak and
Tran will travel to Royal Oak and
Tran will travel to Royal Oak and present Gilda’s Club with a very large
present Gilda’s Club with a very large
present Gilda’s Club with a very large donation for a memorial garden that
donation for a memorial garden that
donation for a memorial garden that they’ll be planning as soon as the
they’ll be planning as soon as the
they’ll be planning as soon as the weather warms up so that’s a little the
weather warms up so that’s a little the
weather warms up so that’s a little the background of how I became involved with
background of how I became involved with
background of how I became involved with Cranbrook and vision secure and the club
Cranbrook and vision secure and the club
Cranbrook and vision secure and the club in closing today I know a cancer
in closing today I know a cancer
in closing today I know a cancer diagnosis is scary for any family and I
diagnosis is scary for any family and I
diagnosis is scary for any family and I know that we don’t always get the
know that we don’t always get the
know that we don’t always get the outcome that we had hoped for
outcome that we had hoped for
outcome that we had hoped for my family knows this because we lost my
my family knows this because we lost my
my family knows this because we lost my mom two and a half years ago to breast
mom two and a half years ago to breast
mom two and a half years ago to breast cancer but for my story there were two
cancer but for my story there were two
cancer but for my story there were two little girls that we were really worried
little girls that we were really worried
little girls that we were really worried about I’m sorry
about I’m sorry
about I’m sorry and last June my oldest I was able to
and last June my oldest I was able to
and last June my oldest I was able to give her her diploma from Cranbrook and
give her her diploma from Cranbrook and
give her her diploma from Cranbrook and that little three month old two nights
that little three month old two nights
that little three month old two nights ago I gave her Junior ring so I very
ago I gave her Junior ring so I very
ago I gave her Junior ring so I very think upon grateful thanks
think upon grateful thanks
think upon grateful thanks [Applause]
”
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