My Charity- A Step Ahead

Wow- I can't believe that one week from today I'll be getting interviewed by The Herald- the biggest newspaper in Scotland and the next day I will begin a 95 mile hike with my sisters and a group of close friends to raise money for a cancer research project underway in Glasgow University.  It's been an amazing summer filled with lots of singing and walking!- all to raise well needed funds in the fight against breast cancer.  

It was an honor and a pleasure to sing "Yeled Kat" for the "Pioneers For a Cure" project.  Although I'd never heard this song before, I was given a lot of support from Greg and the guys in becoming familiar with it and was amazed by the instrumentals.  It's an up-beat Channukah song, celebrating the holiday of light.  I hope my Hebrew accent doesn't sound too Scottish!!!! (Where I'm originally from!)

All the proceeds from downloading my track go towards my charity "A Step Ahead".  Funding Dr. Stott's research in Glasgow University into finding a link between breast cancer and the immune system.  Unfortunately breast cancer has effected my life from an early age.  It is very fulfilling and healing for me to contribute towards finding a cure to this terrible disease.    

Here's my story:

At the age of 15, in 1986, I lost my mother to breast cancer.  This was devastating for my two older sisters and me.  This tragic event in out lives made us grow up very “breast aware”, cautious and diligent about having regular breast cancer screening examinations. 

Twenty years later, in June 2006, six weeks after giving birth to my second child, I was also diagnosed with breast cancer.  At this time my two sisters and I made the discovery that we carry the BRCA 1 gene mutation.  This means that we have an 85% chance of getting breast cancer and are at high risk for ovarian cancer. Due to these statistics, we each made the difficult decision to opt for elective surgery. Additionally, I endured chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Now, two years on, we are so grateful to be healthy and to be here for our children and families.  In addition, we feel the need to share our story in order to pass on the important information we have learned and share our hopes and optimism for the future. 

Although we live around the world, this summer my sisters and I are joining forces to take on the challenge of walking the West Highland Way in Scotland.  We are training hard in order to walk 95 miles over six days in memory of our Mother, Lorna Klineberg, and to raise awareness about the BRCA gene.  We hope to raise a substantial amount of money for a breast cancer research study being conducted by Dr. Stott and his team in Glasgow University, Scotland.  The results of which will be shared worldwide in the fight against breast cancer. 

We are leaving Glasgow on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 and arriving in Fort William, at the foot of Ben Nevis on Sunday August, 31, 2008.  Please visit our website:  www.justgiving.com/astepahead for our full story and details on how to make an on-line donation.  The website will accept international donations.

I am so excited about the fast-approaching challenge and will report back after I have (hopefully) successfully completed The West Highland Way.  Additionally, I will be adding more information about the Cancer Charities the other artists on this amazing project are contributing to.

Take care,

Karen