Date: 2007-02-01
To: Righty makes the News again
Miles today: 0.0

Mom makes the News Again! Click here to read the latest, or read below.-LeftyPosted on Thu, Feb. 01, 2007 TORY TALL COASTAL NOTEBOOKCancer survivors live their dream on Appalachian TrailConfucius said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," but for Susan Arzberger and her daughter Kelley Mullin, a journey of 2,175 miles (5 million steps) began with "surviving breast cancer, living a dream and sharing the hope."I broke out the thesaurus to find an adjective to describe these women. Astounding, extraordinary and stupendous all fall short. There simply isn't a word big enough, at least not in the English language.After Mullin was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2003, her husband, Andre Hilden, sat her down and said, "Your dream is to hike the Appalachian Trail, and we should live that dream as soon as you are done with your treatments.""That was probably the happiest day of my life, because how often does someone tell you to live out your dreams?" she said. "Then I told him it's Mom's dream, too, so she has to come."Arzberger, also a breast cancer survivor, works at the Seaboard Wal-Mart (where they were very supportive of her). She says she loves "a good challenge," and rise to it she did."For me, at my age [63], this will certainly be a physical challenge as well as a mental one. It seems I have gotten sedentary, lazy and complacent. This hike should cure that," she wrote in February on the Trail Journal Web site. "I am excited to be doing this with my daughter and showing everyone that if you can survive breast cancer, you CAN certainly survive the [Appalachian Trail]. Plus, I feel good about doing something that will bring attention to breast cancer and how important early detection is."In addition to raising awareness, they decided to raise money. Arzberger chose Caring In Our Lifetime, a local not-for-profit whose mission "is to help pay medical bills associated with the disease for local survivors."Her success was due in large measure to the inadvertent largesse of her friend, Cynthia Walters, who declared that she was going to sponsor her friend a dollar a mile, not realizing just how many miles that was."My husband said, don't worry, she won't make it," Walters said, "but I think I inspired them."In addition to determination, a wicked sense of humor is another family trait. Arzberger's other daughter, Shana Bonaguide, who says she'll "do the trail" when she can travel by truck, christened the pair "Righty" (Susan) and "Lefty" (Kelley), which have multiple meanings - it represents their respective coasts, has some political significance and is a nod to how they each experienced the disease.Bonaguide also offered comfort and support to her mother and sister, despite the stress they caused her. I think the tales of hitchhiking almost pushed her over the edge.Thank you to everyone who made this amazing story happen and for letting me try and tell it.For more information on Caring In Our Lifetime and a link to the Trail Journal, visit cureinourlifetime.com.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------Contact freelance writer TORY TALL at museinc@verizon.net or 602-1194.