Stories of loss, hope at Jones Beach walk against breast cancer

Lexy Mealing, of Westbury, was one of the lucky ones.

Diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago, Mealing, 53, survived her terrifying health scare.

But many other women of color are not as fortunate. While Black women have a 4% lower rate of being diagnosed with breast cancer than white women, they have a 40% higher breast cancer mortality rate, according to the American Cancer Society.

On Sunday, Mealing — dressed head-to-toe in pink and waving an American flag accented with pink stars and a pink ribbon at the annual Jones Beach breast cancer walk — urged women of color to register for a study tracking 100,000 Black women ages 22 to 55 with no history of cancer.

The goal is to learn "why Black women are dying at such a high rate," Mealing said.

The American Cancer Society study is looking at a host of potential factors, from genetics to socioeconomics.

Stacy Scott-Wilds, 50, of Hempstead, is a study participant. Scott-Wilds' aunt succumbed to breast cancer. Her mother-in-law is a 20-year survivor.

"Just watching so many people deal with it and battle with it is so disheartening," Scott-Wilds said. "[Black women] seem to have different issues when it comes to breast cancer. So this study is a very big deal to me."

All of the approximately 60,000 people who converged on Jones Beach Sunday for the nation's largest breast cancer walk had their own stories to tell and reasons for walking

Why they walked

Some walked for loved ones who've passed from breast cancer and whose names were embroidered on their pink sweatshirts. Others were survivors, proudly displaying a sticker showing the number of years that they'd been cancer free.

Katie Schafer, executive director of the American Cancer Society's Long Island office, estimated the event will raise $2.3 million to fund breast cancer research, patient support programs, community outreach and education. Preventive efforts also include information about mutations in the BRCA gene, which can lead to developing breast cancer or other forms of the disease at a younger age.

"It's grown so much over the past 10 to 15 years when we really just talked about survivorship," Schafer said. "Now we talk about thrivership with metastatic breast cancer survivors. And we talk about previvorships with people who understand they could be a carrier of the BRCA gene and take action to ensure they don't get a cancer diagnosis in the future."

Felicia Kasow, 57, of Oyster Bay, director of operations for a Lake Grove mammography center and who lost her best friend to breast cancer, said annual screenings and testing saves lives.

"It's very personal to me," said Kasow, who sits on the advisory board for Long Island's American Cancer Society branch.

Festive with a purpose

With the weather cooperating and a temperature in the mid-60s, Sunday's walk had a festive, party-like atmosphere.

A DJ spun Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" while women in pink feather boas and cowboy hats danced along.

The tens of thousands strolling along the boardwalk pushed strollers adorned in pink and walked with dogs on leashes adorned in breast cancer T-shirts. 

Some hugged as they reconnected with survivors they hadn't seen in years. Others took selfies and reminisced.

Danielle Kalinowski, 37, of East Meadow, walked with her sister-in-law, Lesley Gelsomino, 41, of Smithtown.

Gelsomino was four months pregnant with her now 6-year-old son, Anderson, when she discovered she had breast cancer. She underwent four rounds of chemotherapy while pregnant. Two months after giving birth, Gelsomino had a double mastectomy and full reconstruction, followed by a dozen additional rounds of chemotherapy.

Just when life was returning to normal, Kalinowski discovered her own breast cancer diagnosis and underwent four rounds of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy. She's been cancer free for three years.

"It's personal for us to come together," Gelsomino, wiping away tears, said of the walk. "Throughout the year you just bottle it down. It's not part of your everyday anymore ... And when you're here, everyone is a part of it."

Kalinowski added: "This is just one of the best days. You feel so empowered, so supported. It's just one of the best feelings."

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.