CLEVELAND — Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day is October 13 and in honor of the day, Cleveland landmarks will be lit up pink, green and teal for the distinction.
“Our whole point today is shining a light and having people know what the colors stand for,” explains metastatic breast cancer patient and research advocate Alice Santurri. “Pink is for the origin of breast cancer, green is for healing and the teal is for hope.”
Santurri was diagnosed five years ago at the age of 47 during a routine mammogram.
“Metastatic breast cancer is when the cancer moves from the breast and goes to another part of your body, it loves brain, liver, lungs and bones,” she says. For Santurri, it was found in her spine.
“The median survival is 24 to 36 months so I’m blessed to be here and surviving and that’s all due to research,” she explains.
The Mentor-on-the-Lake mother and wife is an ambassador for Moore Fight Moore Strong which is a national organization founded after 32-year-old Jessica Moore died from the disease.
Nationally, METAvivor also raises money specifically for metastatic breast cancer research.
"If we had more research and more drugs a lot more of my friends would be living longer lives too," she says.
On Tuesday at 8 p.m. METAvivor will host a live event in support of research and awareness. Co-hosted by Tami Eagle Bowling and Larry Gold, the event will feature more than 115 landmarks will be lighting up all over the world in the symbolic MBC colors. Click here to watch the stream.