“I remember it like it happened last week.”
Bonnie Seaman was connected with the PA Breast Cancer Coalition when it was still a concept. At the time in 1993, Seaman was the personal secretary to Pennsylvania Governor Robert P. Casey. An advisor to the governor and breast cancer survivor, Pat Halpin-Murphy, had proposed the idea of starting an organization that supported Pennsylvania women facing breast cancer and aimed to reduce the stigma associated with the diagnosis.
“Pat was a force. She told me about her plans and I thought, ‘this sounds like a really cool idea.’ Governor and Mrs. Casey got on board and it went from there.”
Fast forward to 2009: Bonnie was working for U.S. Senator Bob Casey when she found out she had breast cancer.
“After I told my husband and family and office, the next person I called was Pat. I told her I was overwhelmed with the information and she sent me a Friends Like Me care package.”
Pat shared her own experiences and Bonnie decided to receive care from the same oncologist at the University of Pennsylvania where she had a lumpectomy and genetic counseling due to her family history. She discovered that she had a BRCA2 genetic mutation, which increases a person’s risk of developing breast, ovarian, prostate, and pancreatic cancers.
After 16 years without a recurrence, Bonnie’s physician and geneticist recommended she do genetic testing for pancreatic cancer through a blood test. Her results showed a mutation in the ATM (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated) gene, which increases her risk. Bonnie had no symptoms but it was recommended she have an abdominal MRI based on the findings.
“I wasn’t even home from the MRI yet and I was getting messages in my portal that said they found a lesion on the tail of my pancreas.”
Pathology came back and revealed that Bonnie had stage 1 grade A pancreatic cancer with clear margins. She needed two rounds of chemotherapy, 25 rounds of radiation, and an oral chemo pill. She now says she is feeling well.
“I can’t tell you how grateful I am that all these steps have led me to being alive today. I have been blessed.”
Each year, Bonnie chooses to give back to the PA Breast Cancer Coalition, recently joining the Legacy Giving Circle. She says the “circle” name is fitting because contributing to the Coalition feels like a full circle moment – from the time she heard Pat’s idea to her own diagnosis, to the genetic testing, to her second early-stage diagnosis and treatment.
“It all started with Pat coming to my desk that day with this idea. I always believe that to whom much is given, much is expected, and I firmly believe the PBCC is one of the preeminent advocacy organizations in the country. I tell my friends about the care package program, the free mammogram program, the legislative accomplishments, and the amount that has been put into research grants – it’s amazing. I thought, ‘I want to really give back and be helpful in my own way.'”
Bonnie is now back to doing all the things she loves: traveling, yoga, pilates, and volunteering.
