check, please

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

If you happened to catch Deanna Favre's interview last night during MNF, you saw a young woman who is determined to spread the message of hope. Of survival. Of life after beating cancer.

You saw a young woman who's every bit as tough as her legendary husband—a man who puts his own body to the test every Sunday (well, Monday too) on the gridiron.

You saw a hero.

Her new book, Don't Bet against Me!: Beating the Odds Against Breast Cancer and in Life, is a testament to her unwavering commitment to helping others beat this insidious disease. Here's an excerpt from the back cover:

At age thirty-five, Deanna Favre had it all— A loving husband at the peak of his NFL career Two beautiful daughters A wonderful life . . .

And breast cancer.

No one is immune to tragedy. Deanna Favre is living proof.

A shy, small-town girl from Kiln, Mississippi, Deanna had always been perfectly content to let her famous husband steal the spotlight. Though married to the NFL’s only three-time MVP, she preferred to live a life of quiet anonymity.

But on December 22, 2003, when television cameras zeroed in on a somber Deanna watching her grief-stricken husband lead the Green Bay Packers to a victory over the Oakland Raiders immediately following the death of his father, the spotlight shifted. Deanna’s life was about to change forever.

Tragedy struck again the following October, when Deanna’s younger brother, Casey, was killed in an ATV accident. Four days later—still reeling from the loss of her brother—Deanna was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Through it all, however, Deanna has emerged a survivor. In this candid and inspirational memoir, she shares the triumphs and the tragedies of a life lived both behind the scenes and on center stage. From her years as a single mom and her high-profile marriage to Brett, to her highly publicized battle with breast cancer, and the work she is currently doing through the Deanna Favre HOPE Foundation, Deanna’s story is living testament that with faith, hope, and love, ordinary people can overcome even the most extraordinary circumstances.

So, ladies, we implore you. Just because Breast Cancer Awareness Month is nearing its end, don't forget its life-saving message.

Don't forget Deanna Favre.

If you're over 40, or have a history of breast cancer or other cancers in your family, please talk to your primary care physician today about scheduling your yearly mammogram.