“My sister saved my life.” So begins Martha Hayward’s story as a breast cancer survivor. Her sister’s breast cancer diagnosis in early 2005 served as a strong reminder that she herself had not had a mammogram in two years. Halfway through her sister’s chemotherapy treatments, Martha had to struggle to find the words to share with her sister that she, too, had received the same diagnosis. What were the odds? Two sisters, with no history of cancer in their family, sharing the same fate, at the same time.
Martha’s sister was her guide. Her experience cut the path that Martha was destined to walk. The sisters moved through treatment, one just ahead of the other. “It was a great comfort and support to have each other. That incredibly steep learning curve that every new cancer patient knows was a bit more manageable because we could compare notes and share all the tricks we learned along the way: what to eat, how to sleep, what the aches and pains meant, what kind of clothes to wear, how to be comfortable during a PET scan, and on and on.”
Martha’s dream is that every cancer patient will feel the kind of support she was fortunate enough to receive at the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center (DF/BWCC). During the two years of recovery since having a double mastectomy, Martha has been pouring her energy in to creating new ways to encourage women to be vigilant about breast self-examination and annual screening. “I am a living reminder that early detection really does make a difference. My sister’s gift was a reminder to get a mammogram. That gift saved my life.”