MOSCOW -- Karen Mann of Moscow keeps busy taking care of her two young kids, Connor and Kelly, and enjoying life with her family. However, just a few years ago, a lump she found in her breast brought everything to a halt.
"I went for the mammogram and the ultrasound and the second ultrasound and they kind of said 'you`re fine, you`re clear, go home,' and that actually wasn`t the case," said Mann.
Karen followed up with her doctors and found out she had advanced stage breast cancer. Shortly after the treatment began, and at the age of 33, she was able to beat the disease. She said she still needed some help to fully recover.
"What I needed to really find were people who were young with little kids, that were kind of going through the same thing, and I did, somehow they kind of came into my path," said Mann.
That's when she found the Scranton Running Company through fitness trainer Abby Peck, and began training to run the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Karen's running partners soon became some of her best friends.
"It`s a nice release to wake up on Saturday morning and say 'I`m going to run with them and we`re going to talk about.' It`s never breast cancer-related," said Mann.
Karen said running has helped her get back into her normal routines, something her little ones said they love.
"It's special to spend time with my mom," said her son Connor.
The group runs often, but Karen said running in the Race for the Cure is always extra special.
"It's emotional. It`s very emotional. You`re kind of looking around thinking 'wow,' you`re thinking of the statistics, you`re thinking of things you`ve read about, just how many people will be diagnosed. It`s scary," said Mann.
Karen plans to keep on running, hoping some day a cure is finally found.