BOSTON —
"You have to move forward and just stay positive and be grateful for each day," Carol Chaoui said.
Her smile is a giveaway. Chaoui revealing her superpower — positivity.
She is, after all, Wonder Woman. NewsCenter 5 introduced you to Chaoui right before she ran this year’s Boston Marathon while battling two stage four cancers. Well she hasn’t slowed down. She’s feeling good and on a mission.
"I want to help educate people about what it’s like to live with stage 4 disease," she said.
That’s metastatic breast cancer, which means it’s spread and it’s incurable. Chaoui will have treatments for life.
"Even for an adult to understand you can have breast cancer in your skull or your lungs or your spine or your hip. It’s a difficult concept," she said.
And difficult for patients during Breast Cancer Awareness month. Chaoui said too often it’s not highlighted. Hence her rally cry, "stage 4 needs more."
"We have different physical and emotional needs than early stage breast cancer patients," she said.
This Thanksgiving, for a third year, Chaoui has organized a charity Turkey Trot in Wellesley to raise awareness and money. Thousands of people attend.
"The funds go specifically to metastatic breast cancer research," she said.
The community has responded to her call in all kinds of ways.
A Natick store, Renew Arts and Industry, is on the marathon route. Checking it out one day, Chaoui quickly befriended owner Patrice Goldman. They specialize in mid-century modern furniture, home goods and art but Goldman was inspired by Chaoui to add as she calls it "fashion with compassion."
"The proceeds from Carol’s Corner go directly to Dana Farber Breast Cancer research," Goldman said.
Goldman hunts for inventory. Also many people have been moved to donate items.
For Chaoui it comes down to making a difference and making sure her four kids see her for who she is. Not a cancer patient.
"They just consider me their mom who’s you know out there running and doing things in the community which I think is a good way, I think, I want them to know me as that, as that person," she said.
For more information about the Wellesley’s Turkey Trot, click here.
This article was originally published at the “Article” source noted above and distributed by The Tutu Project for informational purposes only.
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