REAL Exclusive Magazine

Lupe “Pete” Roberton: Hope Endures

By Lalaena Gonzalez-Figueroa

Photography by Chad Spencer

If it seems implausible that a second-generation breast cancer survivor would laugh while she chronicles her journey with the disease, then consider the source of that story. Pete Roberton may have been afflicted with breast cancer, but today she stands as a survivor. Her unassuming nature and ability to discover humor in the unlikeliest of situations makes Pete an ideal resource for others who are faced with the devastating diagnoses. As a volunteer with the American Cancer Society she readily shares her own intimate experiences in the hopes that fellow patients will find solace and comfort in knowing they are not alone, and that they will embrace the belief that there is hope.

The discovery of breast cancer is never a pleasant ordeal, and Pete’s reaction to her diagnosis in 2006 was not an uncommon one. She hid, attempting to shroud herself from the outside world as much as possible. Despite the fact that she had stood by her mother’s side years before as she faced her own diagnosis with breast cancer, Pete simply wasn’t ready to deal with the disease beyond going to doctors’ appointments and undergoing treatment. 

Left to Right: Monica Schoettle, Angela Roberton-Fulghum, Pete Roberton, Donald Roberton and Dakota Schoettle

It was her daughters, Monica Schoettle and Angela Roberton-Fulghum, whom Pete credits for popping the bubble she had created to contain her disease, her fears and her life. The girls reached out to the American Cancer Society (ACS), initially hoping that the organization’s literature would help their mother through her recovery process. “I wasn’t interested,” acknowledges Pete. Undaunted, Monica became more actively involved with the ACS and encouraged her mother to join her. Pete finally conceded. She joined the organization’s Survivor Committee and began to attend the occasional meeting in preparation for the ACS’s annual Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event.

By 2007 Pete was an active member of the ACS, and she has never looked back. From co-chairing the Survivors Committee of Making Strides walk; to sharing her experiences as a Reach to Recovery volunteer; to working with the organization’s Look Good, Feel Better program, she has become a tireless presence for those in need, living proof that there is life beyond breast cancer. Pete currently coordinates the Road to Recovery program, in which volunteers offer transportation assistance to patients as well as co-chairing the Team Retention Committee of Making Strides walk 2011.

Perhaps the most intriguing element of her own recovery was Pete’s ability to break the very silence she had imposed upon herself. Telling her story, sharing her experiences with others facing the fear of the unknown, she has had the opportunity to embrace her journey and to acknowledge the triumph of survival. It often takes a push, she notes, for patients to accept the outreach. “I didn’t ask for help from someone who had been there, and I wish I had,” she offers. “Starting that part of your life is so scary, and hearing firsthand what happens and knowing what to expect can make a world of difference.” 

Finding her own voice has not only been a lifeline for Pete and the patients with whom she has developed relationships, but for her own family as well. Her mother Clara Cantu, who for years kept her experiences to herself, has opened up about her own journey with breast cancer. “After she healed, it was a topic that was not to be brought up,” recalls Pete. “There was so much shame associated with breast cancer, and she didn’t feel comfortable telling her story.” Though Cantu couldn’t even open up to Pete as she endured doctors’ visits and exhausting treatments, her daughter’s frank approach to the disease has facilitated an astounding willingness to communicate. “Her attitude has completely changed,” notes Pete with pride. And when a family member was diagnosed, Cantu was there to talk. “It was amazing to hear my mother share her experience,” Pete reveals. “And it made a tremendous impact on my cousin, who felt hopeful after speaking to someone who had been there…and made it through.”

Pete looks forward to continued involvement with the ACS, which hosts fundraising events throughout the year to raise monies for research, community outreach and education. Her family members, many of whom have been directly impacted by different forms of cancer, are also active with the organization. Her husband Donald Roberton, whom Pete credits for his unwavering support and love, is a chairperson on the Making Strides Sponsorship Committee, and her granddaughter Dakota Schoettle participates on the Team Retention Committee. Pete’s sister is active in the ACS in Sarasota and in her home state of Texas, and her daughters continue to give their time to the organization as well. And her mother Clara continues to share her story of survival, inspired by the courage and fire of the daughter who has nurtured and cultivated hope so that she might share it with others who so desperately need to know that it exists.
 
Pete Roberton
Team Retention Co-Chair
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer
American Cancer Society
2970 University Parkway
Sarasota, FL 34243
(941) 328.3761
www.cancer.org