ou have helped The Rose so many times and we are so very thankful for your gifts. Without your generosity we would not be able to serve as many women as we do, year after year, remaining true to our mission. This holiday season our request for your support comes with a special story, one that is so dear to my heart.
Ana Barron Garcia was only 30 years old when she was diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer at The Rose. She was the very first woman we diagnosed through our Young Women’s Clinic. Her husband, Gerry, shared, “When she was diagnosed, The Rose held us by the hand and walked us through…if it wouldn’t have been for them, we wouldn’t have had anywhere to turn.”
On May 17, 2010, after a long hard-fought battle, Ana passed away, leaving a husband and two wonderful children. Gerry has often told me that his son and daughter had a chance to know their Mother – because of the time The Rose gave her.
Ana left behind a loving family determined to turn their grief into something good. Her brother, Daniel Barron, along with other brothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, and Ana’s husband and children, organized the 30 For Ana Relay and raised an amazing $31,000 for The Rose. On November 3, thirty people ran thirty miles to honor Ana – traveling from the hospital, to hospice, to The Rose, ending at the cemetery. Nothing prepared me for seeing her nine-year-old son, running those last miles, and finally reaching his Mother’s grave. His determination and pride were obvious as he knelt to touch the stone and reach out to her one more time.
On behalf of all the Ana’s in our world, please join us. Your gift allows us to take care of women every day of the year. Events such as 30 For Ana and individual donors like you are the reason The Rose is able to provide access to care to so many.
For the past twenty-eight years, I have stood in awe over the caring shown by people of this community. We absolutely will continue to carry on this fight because: Until there is a cure, there is The Rose.
Please join me in making a gift to The Rose’s annual fund, so that we can continue to serve and save lives in our community. For all of your wonderful contributions in the past and any made TODAY, I want to say THANK YOU once more.
I wish you a safe and happy holiday season.
Dorothy Gibbons
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
