SAN ANTONIO -- She's a breast cancer survivor, rape survivor, widow, and now, at the age of 60, a student. Gloria Merritt drove in all the way from Harlingen for the Susan G. Komen San Antonio Race for the Cure.
"I was diagnosed July 2, 2002," Gloria told News 4 WOAI. "Some dates you just don't forget."
Gloria has quite a few dates she will never forget. One of them is the day her husband, Mark, the jokester of the family, helped her get through one of her more difficult days: the day she had a mastectomy.
"He says yeah, 'Victoria Secret is having a half-off sale,'" recalled Gloria.
But in the middle of the fight for her life, her husband died after a long battle with alcohol addiction.
"I was almost a stage 4, terminal. I had a 4-centimeter tumor," said Gloria. "I could not comprehend this."
Gloria says the Race for the Cure is a great reminder that there's still so much life to live.
"Coming to this race, I don't know that I want to call it a lifeline," added Gloria. "Oh! It's just so great to see that many people... surviving."
The Susan G. Komen San Antonio Race for the Cure is the morning of Saturday, April 4.
Click here to find out how to get registered.
