Philadelphia Phillies 5K takes on new meaning for breast cancer survivor
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Phillies' annual charity 5K is this Saturday at Citizens Bank Park, and a first-timer who's also a breast cancer survivor will be among the runners.
The sold-out Phillies Charities 5K is presented by the Fox Chase Cancer Center, which will have a team running. That team includes one patient who's especially grateful.
Lori Giampaolo, a mom from Huntington Valley and a breast cancer survivor, endured a year of treatments at Fox Chase.
"It was tough," she said. "It was tough to tell my 9-year-old and my 11-year-old. My husband and I had to sit down and have a tough conversation with them."
In addition to her family and friends, she said, her treatment team at Fox Chase got her through it with a positive attitude.
"You don't have to be a victim to this, you can really live your life, cancer is a piece of it as opposed to the cancer ruling your life," she said.
Her life-saving treatment included a new chemotherapy drug before the double mastectomy.
"It really did the trick," Dr. Angela Jain at Fox Chase said. "At the time of surgery there was nothing left, which was the best news ever."
Doctors encouraged Giampaolo to keep running through the treatments.
"I never really took a break. It's really helped me have a good healthy perspective," she said.
Giampaolo, who's also a diehard Phillies fan and season-ticket holder, will be among 6,000 runners in the Phillies Charities 5K this weekend.
There's some rain in the forecast, but Giampaolo said she isn't worried about it — it might help hide her tears of joy to be there.
"Through my treatment experience, I said when I got on the other side — not if but when — I would pay it forward," she said. "And I would do whatever I could to advance Fox Chase's mission to prevail over cancer."