Speaker: Margaret Gatti-Mays, MD
Margaret Gatti-Mays, MD: Hello, my name is Dr. Margaret Gatti Mays, and I'm the section chief of breast medical oncology at Ohio State. Today I want to recognize and thank Paula Brose for her extraordinary dedication to the Stephanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research and the tremendous impact her fundraising efforts have had over nearly two decades. As many of you may know, Paula was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and received her care here at Ohio State. She transformed her personal experience into a mission to help others, creating life's short eat dessert first fundraiser, which is inspired by a simple but powerful belief. Life is short, so enjoy dessert first. What began as an idea grew into a beloved annual tradition that brought together family, friends, and supporters to raise money for breast cancer research. Through homemade desserts, auctions, raffles, and the generosity of this community, Paula has helped raise more than $266,000 since 2007. Last year's event alone raised more than $35,000 including $25,000 for the Stephanie Spielman Fund. This year would have been the event's 19th year. However, Paula made the difficult decision to cancel the in-person event so she could focus on supporting her sister Jackie during her difficult battle with metastatic breast cancer. Unfortunately, Jackie passed away on August 29th after a courageous twelve-year battle against the cancer. Paula, thank you for your years of commitment, your resilience, and your generosity. Your efforts have advanced research, inspired hope, and touched countless lives. More importantly, thank you for inspiring all of us to continue giving today so that together we can move closer to a future without breast cancer. While there won't be an in-person event this October, the fundraising will continue online because the need for research has never been greater. If you've supported this event in the past, I hope you'll consider making a donation again this year and joining our online silent auction. Together we can continue funding life saving research through the Stephanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research. Life's short. Let's continue making every moment and every dollar count. Thank you so much for your time.
