High Falls and several prominent buildings in Rochester will be lit up in green, teal, and pink Wednesday night in recognition of National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day.
It's the form of breast cancer that is most advanced and causes the most deaths.
Andrea Reynolds of Fairport, 39, said her initial diagnosis of stage 3 breast cancer in 2013 was shocking, and to learn in 2019 that cancer had spread through her body was truly devastating.
The mother of two has lesions in her spine and sacrum and cancer cells scattered throughout her ribs, pelvis, and skull.
Reynolds said she doesn't relate to the "typical" breast cancer patient.
"The pink campaign is really focused on prevention and early detection," she said. "With metastatic patients, we're on treatment until they all stop working and we die, so we have a bit more urgent cause for research and for fundraising."
High Falls, the Joseph A. Floreano Riverside Convention Center, Tower280, Memorial Art Gallery, and The Nathanial will glow in green, teal, and pink tonight.
The colors associated with the metastatic breast cancer awareness campaign symbolize hope, immortality, healing, and spirituality.
METAvivor, a nonprofit dedicated to funding research for metastatic breast cancer, is hosting a live #LightUpMBC virtual benefit at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday with special guests Rob Thomas, Kristin Chenoweth, and Tom Morello.
Viewers can livestream the event on LiveXLive, Facebook Live and METAvivor.org
