TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Members and staff of the Florida House of Representatives wore pink on Wednesday, October 19, at the suggestion of two breast cancer survivors who serve in the Florida Legislature and who sought to call attention to Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  

State Representatives Geraldine F. Thompson (D-Orlando) and Gwyndolen Clarke-Reed ( D-Deerfield Beach ) asked their colleagues to don pink outfits to celebrate the power of pink and strides being made against breast cancer.

Learn more about their battles with breast cancer and their story of hope in this following essay. Feel free to use any of their commentary for broadcast or publication. Also, please see the two attached photos, including one of Reps. Clarke-Reed (left side of the image) and Thompson (on the right). The other photograph shows a gathering of several House members and staff taken today outside the chambers of the Florida House of Representatives. The images were taken by Meredith Geddings, House photographer, Office of the Clerk.

efore seeking office as a state legislator, Gwyndolen Clarke-Reed was preparing for law school in 2005.  She was scheduled to take the LSAT in late summer.  But in September, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and by November of that year she was scheduled for surgery. After a lumpectomy and removal of lymph nodes, she began in January 2006 a regimen of eight chemotherapy treatments. She also received 35 treatments of radiation. She completed treatment for breast cancer in June of 2006.  Plans for law school went by the board, and she announced her candidacy for the Florida House of Representatives in February 2007.

Prior to her breast cancer diagnosis, Gwyndolen Clarke-Reed spent 12 years on the Deerfield Beach City Commission. Throughout her treatment, she continued her community involvement and activism. Her family and community provided the support she needed to keep moving forward. She said she often left chemotherapy and had lunch with friends. Clarke-Reed was among the lucky cancer patients who were not debilitated by the chemicals that flowed into her veins every three weeks. Today, she encourages other breast cancer survivors to reach out to help others along the journey to restored health. She encourages young women and others to seek annual mammograms and to work with the best team of doctors they can find if tests reveal that treatment is needed.

After receiving 61 percent of the vote in a three-person Democratic primary in August 2006, Geraldine F. Thompson began to focus on a tender spot on her upper right breast. A mammogram in October 2006 was followed by a sonogram. Her doctor became concerned about the inconclusive tests and directed her to seek a biopsy. The results of the biopsy revealed a malignant carcinoma in her right breast. Thompson had looked forward to celebrating her birthday in November, but the cancer diagnosis and a fast-growing malignancy fed by hormones made her wonder if she would live to see another birthday. 

Like many African American women, Geraldine Thompson’s cancer was invasive and very aggressive. Her doctor recommended surgery as soon as possible. Her surgeon performed a lumpectomy and removed a number of her lymph nodes on the day of the 2006 General Election when she faced a write-in candidate. An examination of the tissue from her breast and the lymph nodes revealed that the cancer was confined to the breast and had not spread to other parts of Geraldine Thompson’s body. Clean margins around the area where the cancer had been and clear lymph nodes, in Thompson’s mind, were equal victories to the one she obtained at the polls on Election Day.    

Geraldine F. Thompson was sworn into the Florida House of Representatives in January 2007.  The next month, she began chemotherapy.  Initially, she was strong and energetic and continued to travel between Orlando and Tallahassee for treatment during the legislative session. As the chemicals accumulated in her body, she became sicker and weaker.  One chemical, Taxol, caused her to lose feeling in her hands and feet, which impaired her mobility. Her oncologist consulted with a colleague in Tallahassee and arranged for treatments in Tallahassee . 

After chemotherapy, Geraldine Thompson received radiation, which caused burns that peeled away the skin around her breast and side. Throughout her treatment, Rep. Thompson continued her service in the Florida House of Representatives. She lived with her adult children and grandchildren who cared for her in Tallahassee . Her husband, Senior Appeals Judge Emerson R. Thompson, Jr., organized her treatments and sat with her during each chemotherapy session in Orlando . She described her treatment as challenging and life saving. Representative Thompson encourages women to visit their doctors regularly and get the treatment they need to be here for others.

To learn more about breast cancer survival and treatment, Representatives Clarke-Reed and Thompson encourage you to visit the following web sites and seek information from medical professionals:

National Breast Cancer Foundation:  http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/
American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/

Susan G. Komen For The Cure:  http://ww5.komen.org/

Breast Cancer.org:  http://www.breastcancer.org/

Office of Representative Gwyndolen Clarke-Reed, (954) 786-4848
Office of Representative Geraldine F. Thompson, (407) 245-1511