Lynn cancer survivor to hit the streets

LYNN – Lynne Pesce knows how tough cancer can be, and she’s doing her part to make it a little easier. An ovarian cancer survivor, Pesce and her team will be participating in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on Sunday in Boston.Pesce, a Lynn resident, got involved with the walk through the encouragement of her boss.”My office started doing this (walk) eight or nine years ago and that’s when I started,” she said. She works for Spagnolo Gisness & Associates, an architecture firm in Boston.Last year, Pesce’s team raised over $10,000. All of the money raised through the walk goes to research, awareness, early detection screenings, creating a community of support and more. This year, she said her team of about 10-15 people looks to top last year’s total.”Right now we have between $1,800 to $2,500, but a lot of the money comes in after the walk,” she said. “But with the economy, it’s going to be tough. But we can try.”Pesce attributes her team’s fundraising abilities to their corporate sponsors. She said that she finds the whole experience very positive.”It’s just something to help,” she said. “And almost everyone who walks either knows someone or has a family member who has been affected. It’s very, very moving when you see all of the shirts and the signs and the teams.”Since 1993, almost 4 million walkers across the country have raised more than $280 million through Making Strides events. Last year, supporters raised more than $50 million nationwide. Unlike many other walks, Making Strides walks do not have a registration fee or minimum fundraising amount, which is something that drew Pesce to this event. She said other walks that have a minimum fundraising amount are “pushy.””I didn’t want to be involved with something like that,” she said.Pesce was diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer in March 1997. The cancer had been traveling up her neck and into her head. After a full hysterectomy and six rounds of chemotherapy, Pesce was back at work full time in January 1998. She has been in remission ever since, and has a clean bill of health. But she said that she realizes that she is one of the lucky ones.”I think it’s important to bring out the issue (of cancer) and what it does to families and people,” she said. “Also, I hope that some of the money goes for people who don’t have the money to get the health care I had.”Pesce was treated at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, citing that her excellent treatment and extensive health insurance coverage were crucial in her recovery.She also said that when she before she was diagnosed, she was unaware. There was no history of ovarian cancer in her family. Now, her 30-year-old daughter gets regular check-ups to make sure she stays healthy.If you are interested in donating to Pesce’s team, please email her at [email protected].