Striding for perspective

Pink wasn’t Burnetta Tate’s color -- until she survived breast

cancer.

Tate plans to support other cancer patients and survivors by

running in the Race for the Cure in Newport Beach on September 25.

And she will run with a pink shirt designating her as a survivor.

Tate moved to Laguna Beach in 2000 after being promoted to vice

president of marketing and sales operations at Verizon Wireless. She

had everything going for her in life and didn’t expect anything to go

wrong.

But in 2002, just two years after her promotion, she was diagnosed

with breast cancer, which changed her life forever.

“I had a great job, my life was good, and at 38 years old, you

don’t expect things to happen,” Tate said. “Then, right as I was

beginning to have a doctor look at the lump on my breast, my job

doubled in size. I was now V.P. of marketing and sales operations.”

After the diagnosis, Tate survived nine of the most rigorous

months of her life. She went through surgery, chemotherapy for seven

months and radiation for six weeks.

While dealing with cancer, Tate decided to continue to work as

much as she could. She had been working for 17 years with Verizon,

which was created when Air Touch and Bell Atlantic Mobile merged.

Tate started treatment at nearby Hoag Cancer Center. She was torn

between her health and her job.

“I really wanted to focus on my health, but I was also in the

midst of a really significant job,” Tate said.

She decided that even though it would be hard, she would balance

her work and treatment.

“For me, it was the right thing to do,” Tate said. “My company was

accommodating, I had the strength, and I was in good physical

condition. I had enough strength to keep me going.”

She worked a modified schedule, with a three-day week and time off

for treatment.

Tate says she had a great support group made up of family and

friends.

“My family and my friends were what we called the ‘chemo patrol.’

Someone would come out every time I had a major chemotherapy

treatment. I had friends from the East Coast who came, my twin sister

from Albuquerque came, my mother came, and I had another sister who

came. They came together even when they were far away -- they come

together in a time of need.”

Tate often felt very sick during her times of treatment. Her most

intensive treatments occurred between May and August.

“From May to August they were definitely there for me,” Tate said.

“That was probably one of the more special things because they didn’t

ask questions, they were just there for me.”

Her friendships have strengthened significantly due to her cancer

experience. Now, instead of her friends coming to California on a

regular basis to help her, they come just to visit.

Tate has learned to appreciate life more.

“I really value my time and my relationships with my family,” Tate

said. “It gave me a chance to get a lot closer to my mom. I also met

some really amazing people, including my doctors and my caretakers.

It really opened up a whole new world of people I would never have

met.”

During her treatments, Tate attended a support group twice a month

at the Hoag Cancer Center.

“I thrived on that,” Tate said. “Of course all of your friends

feel for you, but these people are going through it currently or have

gone through it.”

Tate was declared cured in February of 2003 after repeated tests

came out positive.

Since then, her life has changed. She now works at the First Team

Real Estate agency and has a new outlook on life. In a speech she

gave at the Association for Women in Technology, Tate used what she

learned from her cancer experience to inspire others to be strong.

“My speech was about owning your own life, and having balance in

your life. You never know what life is going to give you. Live your

life one day at a time, and value and appreciate what you have,” Tate

said.

After her experience, Tate found herself to be more open to the

world.

Tate has a new philosophy on life and does what she can to help

others who are going through what she went through. She attends

support group meetings to help others, is a trained speaker for the

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and now has a new

appreciation for the color pink.

“I used to run Race for the Cure when I lived on the East Coast. I

always knew I would support breast cancer, but I never realized I

would wear the pink shirt. I never wore pink, I didn’t do pink. But

now I love pink. I embrace pink. It’s a pretty cool color in my world

now.”

The Race for the Cure 5K Run/Walk and one-mile Fun Walk takes

place at Fashion Island. Race times start at 7:30 a.m., and the cost

is $28 for adults, $20 for youth (17 and under), seniors (60 and

over) and breast cancer survivors. Prizes include travel, hotel stays

and spa treatments. For more information and registration, visit

o7www.ockomen.com.

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