Meet My Sister Kim...Amazing Survivor and Major League Baseball Fan!

I'll admit it. This is a shameless plug for my sister Kim. A great sister. A funny woman. A breast cancer survivor. A tireless volunteer for the Susan G Komen Foundation. And as it happens a loyal Baltimore Orioles baseball fan.

Kim wants to be an "Honorary Bat Girl" at an Orioles game in May. Would you take a moment, read her story, and vote for her?

I know she would LOVE the chance to do this! Thanks!

www.mlb.com/honorarybatgirl vote for “pinkim” here is my story:

New Years Eve 1994: I and my little family were going to stay home and celebrate together in front of the TV and eating Chinese food. While taking a shower that day I found a sizable lump. We were worried, but we went on with our plans and waited for the holidays to be over. Once back to work I spoke with my GYN and she quickly scheduled me in. I work in the same building and so it was a quick thing. Well, to make a long story a little shorter. We did some blood work while waiting for a mammogram. The blood work confirmed the fact that I was pregnant with our second child! Well, it turns out that the lump was to be stage 2 invasive breast cancer and with a 2 year old daughter at home and at barely 36 years of age, the decisions to be made were, perhaps,easier than they should have been. I had a lumpectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiation. My two year old was the priority. I would be there to help her to grow up!

I have been an Oriole fan since 6th grade! That year of treatments(1995) was no different. That year Cal Ripken Jr. hit the 2131 mark. I worked through my treatments and I remember asking my husband to move the little TV into the bedroom so that I could watch the game from my bed as I prepared for the next day. I was determined to stay awake through the great fatigue and I am glad I did, as Cal did not disappoint...I can still see the home runs in my mind. The next day at work it was an obvious thing that I had had a short night. One of my co workers actually guessed that I had stayed up to watch the game. I have often dreamed of telling Cal what that meant to me. I was able to celebrate with him and the O's even as I went through my own personal trial.

My daughter is now 17 years old and we are teaching her to drive! I have become a strong advocate for breast cancer. Over the years I have been active on many grant proposal review boards and also help to raise the money to fund them. I started out by walking in the Maryland race for the cure in 1996. I am now the current Race Chair for the Susan G Komen for the Cure Maryland Race for the Cure. My daughter and my husband, also fans, are by my side. It is my plan to be at the park on Mothers day to cheer the Orioles on.I means a great deal to me, as a baseball fan, that MLB is involved in the cause so close to my heart. It would be a great honor for me to also be the honorary bat girl, a dream come true, really, to combine two of my greatest passions! The Orioles and Susan g Komen for the Cure! Please help me to realize that dream. I have had so many opportunities that I would not have had but for the life changing diagnosis of breast cancer, I hope this is to be another one.

On the website she has her story complete with a CV of her advocacy with the Susan G Komen Foundation.

You can find pinkim on this page!!