In 2010, Dusty met Mara Gorden, a fellow breast cancer advocate, while Dusty was in Boston walking in the Boston 3-Day event with a local team. Mara and Dusty had previously connected through Facebook and were finally able to meet in person on day 3 of the Boston event where Mara was walking to honor her dear friend’s battle with stage 4 breast cancer.

Unfortunately, Mara had no idea how her life would change in the weeks following this event. Having just had her first mammogram screening the week prior to the walk, Mara knew the results were questionable but what they ended up leading to was life changing. After a breast ultrasound and a core biopsy on her left breast, the initial finding was Atypical Lobular Hyperplasia which in and of itself is not a cancer but rather a “pre-cancer”. The mass was removed via lumpectomy and the biopsy results of this surgery uncovered an early stage lobular cancer in the margin leading to a second lumpectomy and six weeks of radiation followed by ovarian suppression and subsequent removal.

During this time Mara and Dusty strengthened their friendship by staying in close contact especially during some of Mara’s darker moments in waiting rooms, during decision making and treatments. When Mara completed her treatments she was determined to walk another 3-Day but this time she wanted to have her friend Dusty walk with her. Dusty previously had said he would not walk Boston again not only because of the hills and the effects on his bad knees, but also because he enjoys traveling to a different city each year to meet new people. Mara’s persistence to have him return after all his encouragement during her hard times finally convinced him to commit to a second trip to Boston.  Dusty even agreed to make a special trip prior for a weekend long team fundraiser in May where he was the guest speaker for the kickoff event speaking about his own journey and how he came to inspire others.

Dusty had always wanted to launch a non-profit; however, he  just didn’t know how to put the pieces all together. In May, 2011, Dusty realized his missing piece was Mara and he asked her to become his business partner. Over the next several months the two tried working together on a business plan but continued to face challenges including Dusty’s lack of focus and perpetual ADHD which he warned Mara about from the beginning. After a couple of months with lack luster results, in August of 2011, through a friend’s suggestion Mara read the book Driven to Distraction. She was amazed that a book could finally help her put Dusty’s way of thinking into perspective. This same book even assisted Dusty’s own parents understand their son. Since reading that book, Mara and Dusty have excelled at working together and have finally established their limited liability, limited partnership (Dusty Showers The 2nd Basemen, LLLP) and also have filed paperwork for their non-profit (The 2nd Basemen, Inc.) which they will run together. The name “The 2nd Basemen” is tongue in cheek for an old adage about “getting to 2nd base”, and in this instance perhaps saving a life.

The coming months are filled with exciting activities to launch both businesses nationally. The 2nd Basemen look forward to helping as many women with breast cancer and their families that we can.

If you’d like to help in any way, please send us an email at info@dustyshowers.com.

Thank you for joining us on this journey!