One year after volunteering, breast cancer survivor Christine Bee from Wallingford is getting ready to ride in Closer to Free for the first time.
The bike ride now in its 8th year raises millions of dollars to support research and patient care at the Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven.
“The staff here at Smilow became part of our family,” Bee told NBC Connecticut.
During her annual screening in December 2016, Bee said a technician noticed a small spot in her breast.
“Eventually had a biopsy which confirmed it was cancer and it was a very frightening moment but I would say at the same time I felt really fortunate,” Bee said, because the team at the Smilow Breast Center caught the cancer at an early stage.
After 12 weeks of chemotherapy and four weeks of radiation, Bee wanted to ride in last September Closer to Free.
“You always heard about it on television, on billboards driving around this area so yes, I was always aware of it,” she said.
Local
But a setback kept her off a bike, so instead she volunteered on ride day at the Yale Bowl.
“I thought I was a volunteer helping others and I kind of was like a spectator,” Bee said, “but once I entered the bowl and started helping I realized I’m part of this community and that was kind of an epiphany.”
This year, Bee will proudly wear a survivor jersey.
“We’re pumped, we’re so excited to ride,” she said, “we’ve been training every Monday night on training rides with Zanes and we’ve been doing our own training for hills around Wallingford.”
Bee will be joined by her husband and two adult children making the trip back home to Connecticut on Team Busy Bees.
“My daughter just told me today she put out a Facebook post and just got $170 more dollars,” Bee said.
Bee said her family is raising money to support the many patients still in treatment.
“I saw often women some men some children suffering much more than I did,” Bee said.
And the family is saying thank you to the doctors, nurses and staff at Smilow.
“It was just that level of support that just made such a difference in my outlook or any other patients outlook when this happens,” Bee said.
A record number of 1,750 riders have already signed up for Closer to Free on Saturday September. NBC Connecticut is a proud media sponsor.
