Guest Column:

Costa Mesa resident Lysanne Sebastian is a beautiful and vibrant young woman of 36, married, with two darling children — Bradley, 4, and Sage, 2 — and is an accomplished athlete with a love of Hawaiian outrigger canoeing.

She is an active member of the Imua outrigger canoe team based at the Newport Aquatic Center, has paddled around Molokai twice, and even met her husband, Rick, when they were both paddling in an outrigger race to Catalina.

At the end of August, Lysanne’s life changed dramatically when she was diagnosed with invasive ductile carcinoma, or breast cancer. Initially, doctors did not think the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, but her subsequent biopsy revealed that two of the 11 lymph nodes removed were affected and immediate action was required to save Lysanne’s life.

Dr. Neil Barth, Lysanne’s oncologist at Hoag Hospital, scheduled her for a bilateral mastectomy, and recommended she begin chemotherapy without delay. Devastated, Lysanne realized her life was changing radically, and it was all happening at a head-spinning pace.

As part of Hawaiian culture, the word “ohana” means extended family and includes those who are blood-related, adoptive or intentional, and emphasizes that family is bound together and members must cooperate and remember one another with kindness. So when Lysanne decided to shave her head in preparation for chemotherapy, her ohana decided to meet the challenge right beside her, and threw Lysanne a head-shaving party.

Lysanne’s parents, Newport Beach residents Janet and Walkie Ray, known for their generous philanthropic work, along with other family members, friends and the entire Imua outrigger team gathered at Salon by the Bay on Oct. 17 and got the party started.

Pink pomegranate margaritas and pink lemonade flowed, and there was joking and laughter all around. Lysanne’s brother Alex had his head shaved first (her other brother David later shaved his head at home), then Rick, followed by Uncle Mike Ray, then Walkie Ray and finally, Lysanne. She didn’t want her girlfriends to shave their heads, so the women had a strip of their hair dyed pink in solidarity.

Everyone clapped and cheered and Lysanne vamped it up in her new hairdo. She looked radiant and strong, and smiled broadly when her daughter said “Mommy, you look so pretty!”

Though there have been a few dark days, filled with fear and anxiety, since her diagnosis, Lysanne is holding on to a positive attitude with the help of her family and friends.

“We weren’t quite sure what to expect when we decided to have a head-shaving party for Lysanne, since none of us had ever thrown one,” said Janet Ray, who is a breast cancer survivor. “But we knew we needed to support Lysanne by being proactive, and involving everyone around her. Her strength is being nurtured by her friends and family and we think it’s going to make all the difference in her fight.”

According to the American Cancer Society, one in eight women (about 13%) in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Aside from non-melanoma skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women. Breast cancer is the No. 1 cause of cancer death in Latina women, and is the second most common cause of cancer death in white, black, Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Alaska Native women. Early detection is critical.

“The ohana of my fellow Imua team members, the outpouring of spirit and support, the extension of help has lifted me up higher than I ever thought possible,” Lysanne said. “Although I never expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer, I certainly never expected this kind of amazing response. This has become bigger than me. If my situation has jump-started a wave of unity in our community and a means to promote breast cancer awareness and research, I am all for it.”

So as Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to a close, we are reminded by stories like Lysanne’s that the battle against cancer takes more than just keen medical science and early detection, it takes an attitude of ohana.

And the fact is that while there isn’t a cure quite yet, we can all become a part of the family that is battling this dreaded disease.

By persevering and holding on to the attitude of ohana, one day we will have a worldwide party to celebrate a cure.

LYNN SELICH is a freelance journalist who lives in Newport Beach. She can be contacted at [email protected].