Dedicated to my Nana: Donna O'Keefe

I have always worn pink in October to support breast cancer since I was young. As a young cheerleader, we wore pink bows in our hair and matched our socks to the football players’. In high school, our athletic director painted a large pink ribbon on the 50-yard line of the football field. Here in Ohio, I recently picked up my “Pink Out” shirt for Saturday’s game vs. Indiana. I have always been aware of the meaning behind the month of October.

However, I don’t think I have ever fully understood the importance of making people aware of the disease. I quickly learned when my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer this past summer. It was discovered during a routine mammogram, which is a good sign from the start, as she had not had any symptoms indicating the cancer was in the later stages of its growth.

Nonetheless, it was scary to hear. If you have ever met my grandmother - or Nana, as we call her - you would know how amazing a woman she is. She is incredibly selfless and generous; always putting both family and friends before herself. I have always looked up to her and the two of us have been very close since I can remember. We have always had a special bond. Thus, when I was told that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, I was completely in shock.

I was leaving for college in less than a week and I would not be able to be with her throughout treatment. It hit me hard. I could not -- and still do not- understand why the greatest people in our lives are the ones who are subjected to such a terrible disease. It simply isn’t fair. And yet, despite her diagnosis, she remains the same as she always has. She still thinks of everyone else before herself and makes sure everyone around her is okay. She is truly amazing.

She has worked at a diner in Massachusetts for over thirty years, and everybody there knows and loves her. This past week, on the first of October, her coworkers decided to give back to such an amazing woman by surprising her. As she always had, she went into the diner early Saturday morning to open up, where she found everything was entirely transformed.

Her coworkers had covered everything in various shades of pink, and left flowers for her to find with a note reading, “No one fights alone”. This gesture was so sweet, it brought my grandmother to tears. Little did she know, her coworkers would soon arrive for work sporting pink shirts that they will wear for the entire month of October.

In addition, the diner will be fundraising all month in order to donate to Breast Cancer research at the local hospital where Nana is being treated. The final donation will be given under her name.

Over the past few months, I have begun to learn the facts about the fight against breast cancer. It is the second most harmful cancer in women and 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed. These staggering statistics are scary but important to know. We must do all we can to fight against breast cancer. Even the smallest of ways can go a long way and do big things in the end.

To my friends here in Ohio, make sure to support Pink Out at Ohio State by donating or buying a t-shirt for Saturday’s game. To my friends back in New England, be sure to head to the Owl Diner in Lowell, Massachusetts to support a great cause - and to enjoy great food. To everyone else in between: remember the meaning and the importance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and do all you can to fight against breast cancer.

As for my Nana, she is doing well. Due to the fact that her tumor was found so early, she will not need to undergo chemotherapy, but rather, radiation five days a week for six weeks. She is a fighter and she will get through this, especially with the support of so many beside her. We love you, Nana!