This breast cancer survivor cycles with a smile

Orna Shazar Gang, left, and her daughter, Mika Gang

At 55 years old, Israeli-born Orna Shazar Gang was just one year younger than her own mother was, when diagnosed with the disease that ultimately took her life at age 58.

Upon hearing the 2013 diagnosis, “You have cancer,” Shazar Gang felt fear and concern, despite having undergone a genetic test a decade ago that determined she did not have the breast cancer gene.

“I gathered my family. The hardest thing for me was telling my two daughters, Noa, age 29 and Mika, age 27. They are at an age where they can’t help but think of their own future and what it may mean,” said Orna.

Watching her own mother spiral into depression and despair, Shazar Gang was determined to work on her attitude and put on a smile.

“Before having a double mastectomy, I felt the need to celebrate the fact that I have had until now these wonderful breasts. 

“My girls and I baked cupcakes. We shaped them to look like breasts and we made them in different skin-colour tones to represent everyone because breast cancer can happen to anyone. It was a lot of fun for us. The next morning when I had surgery, we brought the cupcakes and gave it to the operating team. There was laughter. It felt good,” said Shazar Gang.

Continuing in the vein of a positive attitude, she underwent chemotherapy from January to April 2014 and celebrated her newly shorn hair with a henna tattoo on her head.

The tattoo read in Hebrew, “The most important thing is not to be afraid.” It is taken from a Hebrew song called, The Whole World Is A Very Narrow Bridge, written by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.  

“The meaning for me was a reminder not to let fear [of death] take over me, and remember to enjoy life and everything I have [family and friends] to the fullest,” she said.

Left weak but determined, Shazar Gang had a plan to regain her strength through biking with a long-term goal of participating in the annual Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer benefiting Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

She and her husband went on a six-day cycling trip throughout Prince Edward Island in August 2014. 

“We covered 300 kilometres, averaging 50 kilometres a day. After this experience I decided I was going to train for the ride,” she said.

Shazar Gang and her daughter, Mika, committed to the two-day ride, raising $5,200 between them. 

The eighth annual two-day 200-kilometre cycling event from Toronto to Niagara Falls raised more than $19 million this year and has raised more than $138 million for Princess Margaret, and remains Canada’s largest cycling fundraiser. The ride brings together communities of riders, survivors and their supporters for one common goal: to conquer cancer in their lifetimes.

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, an estimated 196,900 new cases of cancer and 78,000 deaths from cancer will occur in Canada in 2015. Two out of five Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. 

Shazar Gang found the challenge daunting. “I was worried. I had ridden 80 kilometres at most, but for the ride, I needed to ride over 200 kilometres over two days. I thought it might be impossible,” she said.

Survivors had the option of attaching a yellow flag to their bicycle so people could see and recognize them as survivors.

Ramona Oss, director of the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer, said, “Every year we see more and more survivors who are a source of inspiration to keep going – if they can do it, we can do it.” 

Shazar Gang said, “My goal for this ride was to be able to make it and not be the last one to arrive at the finish line. I can proudly declare I achieved my goals.” 

Funds raised for the ride support personalized cancer medicine, including research, treatment advances, education and new standards of care at Princess Margaret.

Oss said, “Each and every rider, when they register, has an opportunity to select which area of research is nearest and dearest to them.” 

With her trademark smile and determination in place, Shazar Gang is committed to next year’s ride, set for June 11 and 12, 2016.