Cristie Kibler

When I was 6 years old, my Aunt “Mom” was diagnosed with breast cancer. On my 15th birthday, she was rediagnosed with stage 4, terminal breast cancer. Having continued to watch her struggles for so many years, I felt that I needed to find a way to make a difference so that others would not have to go through the same pain that she endured on a daily basis. Initially a brainstorm between myself and dear friend, Cristie’s Cancer Crusaders has been implemented on a big scale as a school program reaching out to Texas youth to promote good habits and healthy lifestyles. I think that everyone wants to make a difference in the world. I know that I do. Cristie's Cancer Crusaders is about just that. It is about making changes first in your own life, and then helping others to make those same changes. 

We begin with elementary age children and teach good habits including diet, exercise, coping with peer pressure, and making the right choices. Just in the past few months, studies have been released documenting that a history of obesity in children is directly linked to an increase in the rate of breast cancer in young adults. Cristie's Cancer Crusaders also provides an avenue of support for children experiencing the fear of having a loved one battling cancer. I can directly relate that to my own experiences beginning at 6 years of age, and help them to cope with their feelings. 

The program is also geared to middle and high school age students. At this age, students need to begin to pay much more attention to their body and be alert to anything abnormal. I firmly believe that by the time a girl reaches high school she should be aware of how to conduct a breast self exam. I encourage young people of both sexes to be "informed consumers" and become an active participant in their health care choices. It is often hard to remember that the choices we make now can have a huge impact on our life forever. 

Another aspect of my program is geared to adults. If I could see all of you right now and ask you to raise your hand if "You have had or currently have breast cancer or cancer of any kind, you have a family member, friend, teacher, or pastor who has or is a cancer patient" I would imagine that every one of you would have raised your hand. One way that I relate it to everyone is that 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer. That could be you, your wife, your mother, your daughter, your grandmother, your aunt, your niece, or your friend. Or a hundred other people important to you! That really brings it home, doesn't it? 

Cancer touches all of us and we often feel like we can't make a difference. But we all can, and my program will help all of us do that by education, volunteering, supporting others, making good choices, and by having fun while doing it.  

Recently, with excessive media attention on the issue of growing childhood obesity in America, I have expanded the program to deal with the issue head on. In the last 20 years, the incidence of obesity in children has TRIPLED! Research indicates that overweight adolescents have a 70 to 80 percent chance of becoming obese adults – this means today’s heavy kids, who already have to contend with the negative psychosocial effects of being overweight -- depression, anxiety disorders and isolation from their peers -- most likely will suffer the dire health consequences of adult obesity, including diabetes, coronary heart disease and hypertension. Recent research suggests that obesity shortens the average lifespan by at least four to nine months, and if childhood obesity continues to increase, it could cut two to five years from the average lifespan. That could cause our current generation of children to become the first in American history to live shorter lives than their parents.

Finally, there is a growing connection between breast cancer and obesity - especially abdominal and upper body obesity. For example, almost half of all breast cancer cases occur in obese women. Also, cancerous tumors are notoriously hard to find in young women with more than 15-20 percent excess body fat. The severity of obesity leading to breast cancer is not yet known, however, with the obvious correlation between obesity and breast cancer, I feel it is important that we stop the epidemic in the citizens we can affect the most before it is too late -- our children.