07/08/2016
https://www.facebook.com/catherine.schwallie.3/posts/10153790263450847
Breast cancer survivor Paulette Leaphart successfully completed her 1,000 mile shirtless walk from Biloxi, Mississippi to Washington D.C. this week! Arriving on her 50th birthday on Monday, Leaphart, who completed the walk with her 8-year-old daughter Madeline, aimed to raise awareness about the realities of breast cancer and pressure lawmakers to devote more attention to finding a cure. She also sought to challenge social norms about breasts and women's bodies, asserting: "I want my walk to be proof that no matter what the world thinks, or the world defined as beautiful, I define me. Not my breasts. Not my hair color. Not my size 2, or my size 40. Not my skin color. I define me.”
Leaphart was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer in 2014. The treatment left her with double mastectomy scars and doctors recommended against breast reconstruction due to a blood clotting disorder. Last summer, she decided to remove her shirt at the beach for the first time; two women started to cry after seeing her scars and the beach erupted in spontaneous applause. In reflecting on that experience, Leaphart says, "It didn’t just free me that day. Everybody who witnessed it and saw my scars, they were freed, too.” Soon after, Leaphart decided to help other survivors find the beauty in their bodies by taking a two-month walk to Washington, displaying her scars for all to see.
As she wrote before setting off, "I will walk a thousand miles... for all those who went before me. For all those who participated in trials so that I had better treatment options. I will walk a thousand miles for all those yet to follow. I will walk to support all those who are unable to physically participate in walks themselves. I will walk for my 4 lil cousins who lost their mom to cancer at the young tender age of 32. To show my empathy and compassion for all those who have lost a loved one to this disease. I will walk a thousand miles for the women who have lost everything in the process of going through treatment. For the common bond that all fighters share. I will walk across the country topless, for myself and for others! I will walk because I’m celebrating LIFE!”
While highly motivated to complete her walk -- and pursue her ultimate aim of ending breast cancer altogether -- the 60-day journey was not without its challenges. Without a support vehicle, Leaphart pushed their belongings, as well as her daughter when she grew tired, in an oversize stroller. On a number of days, while passing through rural areas, they had to travel far more than their planned 30 miles a day to find lodging for the night. And, they were stopped by police on several occasions due to her toplessness; Leaphart says that all of these encounters were ultimately positive after she explained the purpose of her journey. One police department in Virginia, the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office, even shared photos of the mother/daughter duo alongside their officers, wishing her luck on her "brave endeavor" to "change the face of breast cancer."
The outpouring of support she received from strangers on the road, moreover, was extremely heartening to Leaphart. Countless people stopped to offer words of support, provide them with drinks, or buy them dinner when they passed through towns. And, for Leaphart, the journey itself was transformative: "It was healing to me. It was gaining back my strength. It was spending some personal, much, much, much needed time with God."
Now that she has arrived in Washington, Leaphart is ready to tackle her next big goal -- finding a cure for this devastating disease. She's scheduled meetings with members of Congress to discuss the need for more research support and how to make treatment more accessible to people who can't afford expensive medications -- a topic that strikes home personally for Leaphart as she struggled to pay for medication during her own treatment. And, she hopes that others will be inspired by her story to rethink the narrow standards of beauty often used to judge women: "I don't have breasts. It doesn't make me less of a woman. I'm a girly girl. I like getting dressed up, putting on makeup and everything else, but I refuse to allow one standard definition of beauty to exist in my household. That sets us all up for disappointment when things change. Regardless of what we look like, we should be celebrated."
To read more about Paulette's journey on the Washington Post, visit http://wapo.st/29x20ds -- or follow her on Facebook at Prayers For Paulette8children
For empowering books to help foster a positive body image in Mighty Girls -- regardless of their size or shape -- check out our blog post, "20 Body Image Positive Books for Mighty Girls," at http://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=10912
For an excellent book for girls about breast health -- including proper breast self-exams -- check out “Taking Care of Your ‘Girls’: A Breast Health Guide for Girls, Teens, and In-Betweens” for ages 10 and up at http://www.amightygirl.com/taking-care-of-your-girls
For Mighty Girl books that tackle the challenges of life with cancer, check out "The Lemonade Club" for ages 5 to 9 (http://www.amightygirl.com/the-lemonade-club), "Side Effects" for ages 11 to 14 (http://www.amightygirl.com/side-effects), and "The Fault in Our Stars" for ages 13 and up (http://www.amightygirl.com/the-fault-in-our-stars).
And, for many stories for both children and teens about girls and women persevering in the face of adversity, visit our "Resiliency" book section http://amgrl.co/21U1M5F
