On Oct 1, 2008 I had the privilege to be a part of something that proved to be a profound experience for me and I think for many others as well.

I flew on the Delta Breast Cancer flight from LGA to MSP. There were 80 survivors, 40 from Delta and 40 from Northwest along with some of our management folks. We were taken care of by 5 fabulous in “Pink” flight attendants, who just happened to be Regional Managers! That was quite a treat.

Almost everyone on the plane was “flying pink”. Our wonderful pilots even had on their pink ties.

The flight was so special because there was such a strong bond between everyone. We each told our stories. We laughed, cried, and hugged a lot! There was a tremendous amount of emotional healing that day.

I was asked to talk about my experience with breast cancer since I have the “new” IBC (Inflammatory breast cancer) which is not detected by a mammogram. It is like a web instead of a lump and manifests itself by things like burning, itching or a rash. It is also very aggressive. I had gone for a mammogram only 6 months earlier and had been clear.

The last 16 months have been a dance with death as I have had some close calls. So I think my mission is to get out as much information as possible to as many people as possible about this type of cancer. It’s not always easy to put yourself “out there” and tell people the gory truth as there are actually still people who think they can “catch” cancer from another person. I still believe it is far more important to get the news out.

I also thank Delta Air Lines for taking such an interest in breast cancer and for helping with all the fund raising. This is just one more reason I am so happy to be a part of this company.

There isn’t hardly any adult that I can think of that hasn’t somehow been touched by this awful disease. I am willing to answer questions, come to fundraisers or do what is needed to help find a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime.

Catherine Wimberly
Flight Attendant – Atlanta based