Cancer Means Business: Help my sister lead the fight against stage IV breast cancer today, on Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day

To my valued connections and beyond on the platform I love most:

It's hard to be vulnerable in a digital professional setting (sharing pics of my dog doesn’t count) but if the past 18 months has taught us anything it's that the lines are blurred. So, here I am on the platform that employs me sharing something deeply personal. Supporting a loved one with terminal cancer (in this case my sister Tami fighting metastatic breast cancer) is one of the most personal and difficult things one can endure, but unfortunately cancer also means business. If you read nothing more, please consider donating to the #LightUpMBC campaign where all proceeds go to critical metastic breast cancer research via METAvivor.

You're used to me advocating how to get the most out of LinkedIn, but today I'm advocating for something else. Today I'm advocating for metastatic breast cancer (aka stage IV at onset) awareness and research to fight a terminal disease that my sister Tami Eagle Bowling learned she had at age 41 with zero signs and has been fighting for 6 years, 3-4 years longer than the average life expectancy (115 people die every day in the US alone from this horrid illness, and 685,000 each year globally). While I'm grateful for every day she's here, does this make us "lucky"? It’s difficult to think in those terms when she's on a steady diet of meds, blood work and when every few months she/we are on pins and needles leading up to and in the hours following her scan praying the cancer hasn't metasticized (aka scanxiety). Nevertheless, she persists.

If you know my sister you know that she is a force, driven to succeed at whatever she puts her mind to. Her well known mantra is #MakeEachDayMeaningful. On the lighter side, her intense focus leaves her in the dark on some of the obvious things in life or current events and pop culture creating countless moments filled with head shaking belly laughter. Other things you should know about my sister: In high school in suburban NJ, in between being the gymnast cheerleader that runs diagonally across the basketball court doing back handsprings, she was also running tables at “The Burger Joint” where her nickname and nameplate read “Smiles”.?Much has happened between the 80s and today including a successful career in advertising at magazines including Bon Appetite, Marie Claire, Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan and more - living a life reminiscent of sex in the city (more Carrie than Samantha :-) and creating a beautiful family with my two precious nieces - now 9 and 11 years old. She’s intense.?She’s endlessly positive.?SHE'S FULL OF LIFE.?While her traits remain the same, her circumstances are dire, so she is channeling her fierceness and positivity to make a difference. Here's a snapshot of the advocacy work she's done:

• Knocking on Congress's door to fight for legislation to improve the lives of cancer patients
• Working with Governors, Mayors and other local officials to issue proclamations recognizing October 13th as National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day and teaching dozens of others how to do the same across the country
• Acting as a leading metastatic breast cancer patient advocate for Pfizer speaking at conferences as well as with top researchers and doctors
• Being a rock consulting with groups of recently diagnosed MBC patients
• Making numerous press appearances on ABC, Fox5 as Hero of the Day, Pix11 (NJ woman turns metastatic breast cancer diagnosis into a calling), Comcast Newsmakers and more
• Being featured in everything from Pfizer campaigns to Glamour Magazine to local publicatoins
• Producing and hosting the #LightUpMBC Live event happening tonight! Details below.

So why am I writing this now? The truth is I should have done it a long time ago but today, October 13th, is metastatic breast cancer awareness day and tonight is the flagship event that SHE has been pouring every ounce of her being into as Producer and Host. The event is called #LightUpMBC Live and it's the biggest event no one outside the metastatic breast cancer community has ever heard of, and that needs to change. How big is it? It's 225+ skyscrapers, bridges and stadiums in 153 cities across the globe big. With my sister at the helm, a group of hopeful and beautiful souls have gotten iconic landmarks from The Freedom Tower in NYC to Ford Field to Niagara Falls to the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and hundreds more to light up in the MBC colors of green (renewal, hope, immortality), teal (healing & spirituality) and pink (signifies the metastatic cancer originated in the breast) to raise "awareness" of this disease. They have gotten musical superstars like Kristin Chenowith to Tom Morello to Rob Thomas to perform. You can view in the following ways:

RSVP via Facebook Live OR stream on LiveXLive, METAvivor.org, METAvivor Research and Support Inc. or on METAvivor's YouTube channel.

I know it's not practical to expect most people to join, but please consider donating to METAvivor Research and Support Inc. by clicking here.

All of this to inform people that this version of breast cancer is the deadly kind yet it only gets 5% of the funding compared it's less deadly sister (early stage breast cancer, represented by much more well known pink ribbon). To inform them that ~30% of early stage breast cancer survivors will have a recurrence as metastatic disease and that once that happens only 22% live longer than 5 years, and 11% live longer than 10 years.?To inform people that there is no cure but that research extends lives and we are hopeful that one day soon it will save lives.

But, let's be real, fundraising isn't for the faint of heart and awareness isn't enough - it's a nice a nice way of desperately calling out to help those suffering and those that will suffer and to donate money. This is the 3rd year my sister and cohort are at this and they've raised ~$100k each year. I'm so proud of her and while this is great, I know it can and should be more. Think of the gala of 225 wealthy people who donate millions when this group has gotten 225+ LANDMARKS in 153 cities to illuminate on this one night!?Sure she's secured sponsorships from companies including in Pfizer, BMW, Hulu and a few others - and we welcome more of those if you can bring them, but we need more people to give.?

I started this post off insinuating that this was going to be personal, and it is, but it's also business. CANCER MEANS BUSINESS. We need your business. Help save my sister's life so she can help save others - maybe you'll help her save you or a loved one down the road. I'd say thanks for reading but what I really mean is thanks for giving. Click here to #maketodaymeaningful with a donation.

With gratitude, Lee & Tami