Today marks the first anniversary of Kathy's passing. 

Kathy didn't face her diagnosis laying down and she didn't fight it alone. She touched so many lives with her advocacy and her spirit continues to be an inspiration. With that in mind, I want to share some info from an email I received from Theresa's Research Foundation this week: 

Her two favorite charities, Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) and Theresa's Research Foundation, have established the Kathy Townsend Hope Mountain Scholarship. The purpose of this scholarship is to fund two local recipients per year to attend LBBC's Hear My Voice advocacy training program to follow in Kathy's footsteps in being a voice for MBC. I attached a pic of the flier for friends and family in case you want to read it.

One of the first recipients knew Kathy from several support groups that she participated in. The following is her response to LBBC on notification of her scholarship - "I feel so honored to receive this prestigious scholarship. Kathy Townsend impacted my thinking and research of MBC. I never had the pleasure of meeting her in person, but met her in a group for MBC that she was administrator for and in several other groups. She was honest and supportive of the MBC family. She continued to post as her situation changed and how she felt from her heart. It was a sad few days for me when she gained her wings. As a hospice nurse, I've seen nothing but a heart of gold from Kathy." - Yep, that's my Kathy.

This past September, Kathy was remembered during the 7th Annual Metastatic Breast Cancer Conference in Salt Lake City. This is an annual medical conference with the Mayo Clinic, Baylor College of Medicine, the MBC Alliance, and Theresa's Research Foundation that includes researchers, doctors, and MBC patients to discuss advances in research, understanding, and new therapies. Kathy always came back invigorated after attending.

Last month, Theresa's Research Foundation in collaboration with Susan G. Komen of Houston and Pfizer put on Kathy's Retreat for Women Living with Metastatic Breast Cancer and Their Caregivers in Houston. According to the brochure, it's an opportunity for women with MBC and their caregivers to exchange ideas and mutual experiences about facing the challenges of living with MBC and discuss ways to cope and find hope in the present. "The retreat is named in honor of our dear friend Kathy Townsend, who lived a life of kindness and brought people together to advocate for issues important to those living with MBC. She wanted everyone who struggles with this disease to know they are not alone." - Right up Kathy's alley. She would have been honored. 

Who knew this beautiful soul would have had such an impact?  Love you and miss you, baby - Richard