Katie Bebinger is my older sister. She was almost 2 years old when I was born, but once we got to adulthood we would always joke that we were really twins. Growing up she was my fiercest protector and biggest bully. No one could hurt me except for her (her words). But after high school we went to the same college, then lived together in the same town, and were as thick as theives. We only had each other.

In 2016 she moved to Minnesota to pursue a better career opportunity and be here when our first niece was born. On September 1st, 2018, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Cancer was not a word our family dealt with closely until this moment. We had a cousin with brain cancer, but he was in Texas and we didn't see the day-to-day agony that cancer causes. This was foreign to all of us. She thought she just had a gluten allergy when she went to the E.R. Instead it was stage 3C.

The next year our dad travelled to and from CA to help her whenever he could. My mom, dad and I still lived there while Katie was here with our older sister. Almost exactly a year to the day she was first diagnosed, Katie adopted a puppy named Goose. Days later, the cancer came back.

We knew at that point that she may win many more battles, but cancer would win the war. When that was, no one knew, but it would happen. So the rest of us packed up and we moved out here to be together.

Katie was the embodiment of a fighter. She never once gave up. She would tell me, without a doubt in her eyes, "I'm not going anywhere, kid". She still had hope. We all had hope.

On January 8th, 2022, Katie lost her war. 

But we want to keep raising money for MOCA in her honor, to help other women win their wars.

MOCA meant so much to Katie. This was literally the only highlight of her cancer diagnosis. And she loved the teal strides event. She was with others who understood. No matter how much we as family and friends helped her, we would never truly know what she was dealing with. 

We are planning to continue this event in her honor every single year. I hope you'll join us either in person or by donating (or both) for the teal strides event. Let's do Katie proud.