Alicia Lutz of Milltown, Indiana

Survivorship: Since January 01, 2002

I am nominating my mother who was been a cancer survivor since 2002. Breast cancer is a gentic
disorder in my family. My grandmother was also diagnosed with it and they were both genetically tested for it. They both have the mutated gene that caused the breast cancer. My sister and I both were genetically tested for the gene but neither one of us have it.
My mother is the strongest person that I know and I admire her so much. She had a double mastectomy along with a complete hysterectomy and oariectomy. She also had reconstructive surgery on both breasts. She lost all her hair along with most of eyelashes. I remember
sitting with her through multiple chemotherapy sessions that lasted six hours each. I also remember her being so sick from the chemo and also having thrush in the mouth from the chemo treatments.
She participates and also volunteers her time to many cancer researching events. She is on the committee board for the local Relay for Life that comes around every year in our community. She walks in the Susan G. Komen walk in Louisville and wears her pink proudly throughout the October "Breast Cancer Awareness" month along with the other eleven months.
She loves the Derby events. My high school proms were always on Derby day and even though she always went to Derby before I was in high school, she always missed Derby for me for four years.
My mother is just an inspriation to me and many others as she is always willing to tell her story and how she has overcome this terrible disease that invade womens lives every day.