Susanna Creed
Susanna is a senior at Towson University. In the summer of 2012 she is riding with a group of college students on a 70 day, 4000+ mile bike ride from Baltimore to Portland.
What is your connection with the cancer community?
On October 4th, 2010 my Mother lost her 5 year battle with Breast Cancer. I saw her go through hell and back, and that wasn't even the worst of it. As much as my Dad and I tried to support and encourage her, she kept us at arm’s length – excluding us from doctor’s visits, withholding information, and confiding in no one. We tried to lift her spirits but she had already succumbed to her diagnosis. I’m sad to say that her diagnosis decided how she lived the last year of her life instead of her. However, I saw a totally different perspective when my sorority sister was diagnosed with Lymphoma this past December. Her positivity shone through her illness and I truly believe her eternal optimism helped cut her prospective 2 year treatment down to 4 months. She is now in full remission and enjoying life. Because I have seen both sides of the spectrum, I feel I have a unique perspective and connection with the subject of cancer. I hope to use my experiences and the insight I’ve gained from them to inspire cancer patients to stay positive and remind them that they choose how they want to live their lives - not their disease.
Why are you riding the 4K for Cancer?
When I first heard of 4k for Cancer, my immediate response was “No Way, Never!” However, the ride has been on the back of my mind ever since, and over the past couple months has steadily moved to the forefront. I have many reasons for wanting to ride, here are just a few. First of all, I love fundraising for causes that I truly care about. I was never happier then when fundraising for Relay for Life last March. I was able to use my experiences to raise money and gain support, but it wasn’t about me at all! I was completely taken out of the equation – which was both refreshing and humbling. I am also riding in honor of my Mom. She wasn’t able to overcome the darkness of her past or her diagnosis, but by pushing myself to the limit I can show her I will not fall victim to the same fate. By participating in the ride, I can prove to myself and my Mom that there is always hope and we, as humans, can accomplish whatever we set our minds to. I also want to inspire people. I truly believe that cancer is as much a battle of the mind as it is of the body. If you let your diagnosis define you, then the disease has already won. The 4k for Cancer is a metaphor for the struggle of battling cancer. Every day we push ourselves to keep going, and cancer patients do the same. When we feel we can’t pedal anymore we remember the stories of the patients and survivors we’ve met, and maybe, just maybe, when they feel they can’t go anymore, they think of us.
