Mary Lindner was always faithful about getting her annual mammogram and the test always came out clear, until 1997.
A one millimeter spot - that's the size of a small pea - looked suspicious on the mammogram and was later found to be cancerous.
Only three years earlier Mary's sister died from breast cancer. But the reality of the situation - being diagnosed with the same disease that killed her sister - never seemed to set in for some reason.
Mary and Al Lindner are honorary chairs for the Komen Brainerd Lakes Race for the Cure. Mary is a breast cancer survivor and has been cancer free for nearly 12 years. Brainerd Dispatch/Steve Kohls » Purchase reprints of this photo.
"It's my faith in God that brought me through this," she said. "I had no fear because I believed I was going to get that good report."
Mary said she always knew she was going to beat the disease.
Her husband and famed fisherman, Al Lindner, however, wasn't always so confident. After the lumpectomy, Mary's first night home from the hospital was rough on him.
"That was one of the longest nights I've had," he said. "I took it harder than she did."
Now, almost 12 years later, Mary remains cancer free but the disease is always on her mind. She and Al are this year's honorary survivor chair and honorary chair for the Komen Brainerd Lakes Race for the Cure.
"It's very humbling to represent all of the survivors," Mary said of being named honorary survivor chair.
"We have the opportunity to impact people's lives positively," said Al. "It's a life-changing day for many of the women and men that are there."
The Race - either a 5K race, 5K walk or one-mile walk - will be Saturday with registration starting at 7 a.m. at Forestview Middle School in Baxter. The race begins at 8:45 a.m. For more information on the event visit www.komenbrainerdlakes.org.
Mary said her Race for the Cure team, "Team Lady Mary's Hope," has 17 members participating this year. She and Al plan to make the one-mile trek. Mary looks forward to participating in the Race for the Cure every year.
"Once a year we (survivors) hug and we embrace and we cheer," she said. "It's a really fun family morning."
Up to 75 percent of the money raised for the Race will remain in Aitkin, Cass and Crow Wing counties to be used for breast cancer education, advertising and free mammograms.
"No woman should ever have to go without a mammogram," Mary said about the availability of free mammograms to those who need them.
Mary admits to hounding some of her friends about the importance of early detection and getting yearly mammograms. She openly talks about the disease and her experience in hope of saving a life.
"Every one of us knows somebody in some way, shape or form that has been touched by this," Al said. "Stop and think about the goal (of Race for the Cure): A world without breast cancer."
HEIDI LAKE may be reached at heidi.lake@brainerddispatch.com or at 855-5879.
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