Four years ago yesterday, my friend Karen underwent a mastectomy for treatment of breast cancer. Although the surgeons were confident that they had been able to render her cancer-free, she nonetheless endured months of radiation treatments and chemotherapy, to ensure that no single cancer cell remained.
From the moment she was diagnosed, all through her treatment, and into the years following, Karen has been an inspiration to everyone around her. She faced cancer with courage, wit and grace. I think she was surprised to learn that we all found her just as gorgeous with a pixie cut as with her signature long locks!
Karen has always been a trailblazer. Born and raised in San Francisco, she graduated from U.C. Berkeley and, in 1981, became one of the first female police officers in the San Francisco Police Department. Despite their ubiquity as characters on today's TV crime dramas, female
homicide detectives were a rare breed when Karen joined the force. Seeing the worst of human nature every day at work, it would be easy to
become hard-hearted. But Karen remains open, outgoing, friendly and
giving.
Following her diagnosis, she retired from SFPD and followed her dream of becoming a writer. Her essay, "The Road to Kyra", in which she describes the journey to adopting her daughter, won the 2012 Notes & Words essay contest. In her forthcoming memoir,
Good Cop, Bad Daughter, she describes her extraordinary childhood in Chinatown, her relationship with her
bipolar-afflicted mother, and her decision to become a police officer.
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| Karen and her daughter, Kyra |
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Having two
biological sons, she adopted a daughter from China, which made her a
member of a world-wide community of adoptive parents, and eventually led us to meet. I was a new mom when I first met Karen, and she became like a big sister to me
and an auntie to my daughters.
Through her career, at church, with other gymnastics moms, fellow writers, and adoptive parents, Karen has touched many lives. With her openness and giving spirit, Karen has become like family to friends near and far, of diverse
backgrounds and broad experiences. Strong, smart, beautiful, confident, generous and giving, she is not only surviving, but
thriving after her cancer diagnosis. She is an inspiration to us all.
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| Karen with my daughter, Ella, February 2013 |
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| Karen with my daughter, Maggie, October 2010 |
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| Maggie and Karen ice skating, November 2010 |
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| Maggie and Karen, August 2006 |
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Feel free to comment on this post if you have something nice to say about Karen! You can also
make a donation to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Karen's honor.
Four years ago yesterday, my friend Karen underwent a mastectomy for treatment of breast cancer. Although the surgeons were confident that they had been able to render her cancer-free, she nonetheless endured months of radiation treatments and chemotherapy, to ensure that no single cancer cell remained.
Karen is a very special person; she is a true gift to anyone that comes in contact with her. I couldn't have asked for a better mentor when I was diagnosed with cancer. Can't wait to read Karen's book, Good Cop, Bad Daughter. Patricia Rager, Sunrise, FL
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