A Quarter-Century Mission to Save Lives

As we celebrate our 25^th Anniversary as the Orange County Affiliate of Susan G. Komen, we reflect on all of the hard work of our dedicated staff members. Without our hardworking employees, Susan G. Komen Orange County would not be able to continue its quarter-century mission of saving lives. While some of our staff members have just recently joined the fight against breast cancer, others have been with us since our inception. Here’s a story of one of our many dedicated pink warriors.

Komen OC Finance Manager Jane Hill has been part of our Affiliate since it was formed in 1991. She is also a 25-year breast cancer survivor and an inspiration to us all. When Jane was diagnosed, she immediately was thankful for one thing: that it wasn’t her daughter going through breast cancer. This ignited passion in Jane that she needed to survive this terrible disease so she could raise her daughter, and help her to create a world without breast cancer.

Photo courtesy of Lia Marie Photography

Jane made three promises to herself — promises which she continues to work on each day:

1. Make sure her daughter never has to deal with breast cancer.
2. Promote the importance of early detection, which saved her life.
3. Help other cancer survivors through their journeys.

In her spare time, Jane even performs comedy routines for cancer patients at Hoag Hospital in hopes of brightening their days and giving them a much-needed distraction during a challenging time. Jane has also learned throughout her breast cancer journey that you can’t always control what happens in life, but you can control your attitude and how you handle the situation.

Jane (right) with her loving sister, Kathy Wynn, Photo courtesy of Lia Marie Photography

After all of the love and support Jane received from friends and family during her treatment and recovery, she knew she wanted to find a way to give back. After volunteering 20+ hours weekly for Komen OC, Jane joined the team as a finance manager. In her role, she oversees Komen’s finances, creates annual financial reports and ensures all funds raised are appropriately allocated.

Every year, Jane also participates in Race for the Cure and the touching Survivor Tribute. We are so lucky to have such an amazing woman involved with our organization and we appreciate everything you do, Jane!