Benefit For Dawn Paul

On February 4th, 2019 - World Cancer Day, I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma in overlapping sites. Further testing, revealed that it had spread to the lymph-nodes rendering a potential Stage IIb or IIIa. Final staging will not be done until after surgery. On April 19th, I began the first of 8 dense dose chemotherapy treatments. Dense dose is more potent, but requires less "time" in terms of number of treatments. Following chemotherapy, I will have a bilateral mastectomy, then 33 rounds of radiation. Finally, 5-10 years of hormone therapy. In 6 years, I have faced rheumatoid arthritis, a stroke, peripheral artery disease, near total deafness, and now cancer. I will continue to fight and someday, I will get back to work!

While this shirt is a fundraiser, other people wearing it to support me means so much more. The support from my friends and family has meant the world to me. You all continue to inspire me, making me smile and laugh - even when both seem so difficult, make me feel so loved and not alone in this fight.

Each part of this was designed by me for specific reasons and has meaning. The purple shirt - it's my favorite color, but also the color that represents all cancers and RA. The slogan - because I'm not alone in this fight. The star on the back - Superstar. Although I've never fully embraced my middle name (Starre), my mother and a beloved family friend that lost his battle with Leukemia gave me the nickname "Superstar" many years ago. The entire shirt from top to bottom is filled with meaning.