“I noticed that you noticed” – in Support of Breast Cancer Research

Every year CertaPro raises funds nationwide for Breast Cancer research and this year Janae Nezerka, President of CertaPro Painters of Shawnee Mission, KS, generously shared her story with us for the purpose of breast cancer awareness and our Paint it Pink campaign.

Janae’s younger sister Marcia (6 years younger than her) found out 2 weeks before her 30th birthday that she had breast cancer the first time. She went through a lumpectomy, radiation, and chemo, and her cancer went into remission. Seven years later, in 2009, Marcia was diagnosed with a new type of breast cancer. This time, Janae shaved her head alongside Marcia. Janae kept her head shaved for 10 weeks, spreading the importance of self-breast exams, and the statistics for both men and women. During this time, people looked at Janae like she was sick, so she decided to pass out cards that said, “I noticed you noticed”. She welcomed questions from others, seeing each one as an opportunity to educate others about the disease. During this time, Janae and her family thought they had lost Marcia 3 or 4 different times. Marcia tried reconstructive surgery 3 times and each one failed. After that she decided it was more important that she was alive instead of fighting that battle.

During this same timeframe, Sherwin Williams took some CertaPro franchisees to a NASCAR track and gave them a behind-the-scenes tour (at the time they sponsored Greg Biffel as a NASCAR driver). Janae put her cards in a few of the drivers’ trailers, and one of them saw her bandanna and asked if she was the one who left the card. He was 54 and had just had tissue removed for a biopsy, so he came out and talked to her because he was so moved that someone was considering the men who suffer from this disease.

Despite the scares that Marcia, Janae’s sister, faced early on, she just celebrated her 12th year of being cancer free the second time around. She is now 50 years old. Since then, Janae and Marcia’s aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer, and is now a 2-year survivor. A few of Greg and Janae’s team members have been affected by breast cancer as well. Sadly, one team member lost his mother to breast cancer. In order to keep spreading awareness, the whole CertaPro Painters of Shawnee Mission, KS team wears pink shirts during the month of October and Janae always keeps her nails some shade of pink for this purpose.

Janae’s story serves as an important reminder that 1 in 8 women, and 1 in 50 men will get breast cancer, wether you have had a family member impacted by breast cancer or you would simply like to support the effort to eradicate this disease please show your support by visiting here and supporting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF).