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TAMPA PALMS - As a veterinarian, Sue Friedman thought she found her calling. But she re-evaluated her life after being diagnosed with breast cancer at age 33.
She realized there were plenty of great veterinarians out there, but nobody was advocating for the population of women at risk for hereditary cancer.
Friedman's illness led her to establish FORCE, Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered. It is the first national organization devoted to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer awareness.
"It's a passion for me," said Friedman, now 41 and free of cancer. "I really consider it a calling. Our goal is to help promote research on hereditary breast and ovarian cancer."
The former Coral Springs resident recently moved the group's headquarters to H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center. She stresses that FORCE is a support group for people affected by hereditary cancer risk, not all cancer survivors in general. The issues are different, she says.
Friedman started FORCE five years ago on New Year's Eve, right after finishing her chemotherapy for breast cancer.
"Instead of a romantic New Year's Eve with my husband, I was on the computer starting a Web site," said Friedman, who lives in Tampa Palms with her husband and their 9-year-old son. "I was so motivated, I couldn't wait for the new year to arrive."
After 10 years working as a small animal veterinarian, Friedman now centers her life around speaking engagements on hereditary cancer risk, attending conferences and panel discussions on the issue and helping to create educational programs.
The support group started in 1999 as a small message board on the Internet. Today, it is a large nonprofit organization that gets more than 800,000 hits each month on its Web site. Friedman says volunteers anticipate the Web site breaking the 1-million mark for the first time in October.
Anyone interested in contacting FORCE can call toll-free, 1-866-288-RISK, or go to www.facingourrisk.org