2011 survivor profile: Gail King

Gail King was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1975, at just 25 years old, and given a 30% chance of survival. But she considers herself lucky.

“I was taking a graduate class at Stony Brook, and the professor advised us to do a self breast exam,” she recalls. “I went home that night and found a lump. That teacher saved my life.”

Back then, cancer wasn’t spoken about openly, says King, a retired Sachem High School English teacher. “There were few support groups, and some people even thought cancer was contagious.” But King remained positive. “I refused to let cancer define me as a person,” she says. “I knew it was what I had, not who I was.”

King advises women battling the disease to become knowledgeable about treatment options. “Accept help from family and friends,” she adds. “Students carried my books for me, which made them feel better, too.”

Education is still King’s primary goal; she’s traveled around the country in her role as Ms. Senior American 2009/10 to help raise awareness and money to work toward a cure. “It’s important to pay it forward,” says King. “To win this war, we must all participate and not give up. If we join together, we’ll see an end to breast cancer in my lifetime.”