When Gayle Jacobs and I were asked to speak at North Miami Beach Senior High School, we were doubtful that teenage girls would be interested in hearing about breast cancer. We had no idea that it would turn out to be such an enlightening experience. The girls are members of a club called GEMS, which is meant to keep at risk girls on the right track. Veronica Martin and Zuzel Gomez are the faculty coordinators whose creative guidance has led to amazing accomplishments that include designing and selling jewelry, scholarship workshops, and community service.

We spoke about breast cancer, the mechanisms of the FBCCRF, and our personal experiences pertaining to the disease. We left there hoping we had reached this dynamic group of young women, if even just a little, on the topic of breast cancer awareness.

The next day we received this poem from an eleventh grader.

Survival by Santana Hall

Gasping for breath
Peering in the air
She started to fret
Thinking this isn't fair
That's all she remembered
The next thing she knew she was fighting to survive
She knew she couldn't surrender
She had to hold on to life

The wires running through her body
The needles piercing her skin
She heard a sweet angelic melody
Struggling, death shall not win

Mother, Father, Sister, and Brother cried
Staring at the child before them
They all thought she died
They cried for their fading Gem

The Lord gave her a second chance
He made her the epitome of a fighter
Now she shall stance to make a stance
For she survived breast cancer!

We want to thank Santana. The poem will remain in our hearts and will touch the hearts of our readers. And a special thanks to GEMS, for that’s truly what they are.

by Barbara Bronfman