Janice Jucker is a co-owner of 3 Brothers Bakery in Houston. She spends so much time at the bakery, it is no surprise that she was working there when her doctor called to inform her she had breast cancer.
Jucker is selling sweet, pink treats to raise money for her team that is registered for the Komen Race for the Cure in Houston on Oct. 6. $1 from every designated baked good will benefit Komen Race for the Cure. She says she would do anything to see a cure for breast cancer in her lifetime.
The breast cancer journey for Jucker began in 2006.
"I opted for bilateral mastectomy, because I was #7 in my family to be diagnosed with breast cancer. Four of them did pass away. I just said, I don't want them, extensive surgery with reconstruction," says Jucker. It sounds incredibly difficult, but it turned out to be a positive experience for Janice.
"I never thought it could be such a blessing. It's been a good journey! You don't know how many people care about you until you face adversity," explains Jucker.
Hundreds of Jucker's customers and friends came to the rescue during her surgery and recovery. She also relied on ladies from Komen Race for the Cure. She says every survivor should experience Komen's Race for the Cure!
Jucker remembers when Susan G Komen's sister, Nancy Brinker, first made national news with her cause to find a cure for breast cancer. She says Brinker appeared on a national talk show to discuss shower cards, that demonstrate to women how to perform a proper self breast exam.
"They announced the new 800 number, and the phone rang off the hook. They had three phone lines but couldn't handle it. They got so many phone calls, it shut down the Southwestern Bell office," says Jucker. She worked for the phone company then and says it was monumental, because callers overloaded the phone lines again the next day.
Jucker was so impressed with Brinker's message that she immediately wanted to get involved with the group. When she moved to San Antonio years ago, she was disappointed they didn't have a chapter yet. She was thrilled when she moved to Houston, that they had a chapter.
"I didn't know anyone, so I walked alone. There were only had 2,400 people walking. Now it's 2,400 survivors walking, last year over 33,000 people. What a great feeling that you're part of finding a cure for this disease. I'm hoping in this lifetime to find a cure," says Jucker.
Komen Race for the Cure has declared Friday, Oct. 5 as "Pink Out Day," so make sure you wear pink. The Race for the Cure is Saturday, Oct. 6th at 7:45 a.m. You can also "sleep in" for a cure; just visit http://komen-houston.org/ for more information.
