After losing several family members to the disease, Turlock resident Sarah Fox knows the importance of raising breast cancer awareness. She and her young daughter, Cheyenne, proudly own matching pink Ford Mustangs (one real, one toy) in an effort to jumpstart conversations about breast cancer.
“Breast cancer has had the biggest affect on our family,” said Fox, who has had several aunts and a grandmother lose their battles with the disease. “And with having a daughter, it’s something that terrifies me so I want her to be aware.”
Fox’s foray into the world of pink automobiles first began years ago with a Honda Civic, which her husband painted, complete with a large breast cancer ribbon on the hood. After the Civic was sold, Fox got a new car but made sure the color remained the same. Soon enough, Cheyenne wanted a pink Mustang of her own and was eventually able to get behind the wheel of a pink Power Wheels Mustang.
“She’s three years old so I think she’s more excited about the car, but I try to explain to her what it is and what it stands for,” said Fox.
Though Fox stated that the cars often spark conversations about breast cancer due to sheer curiosity at their color, she and her daughter plan to take a proactive approach to raising awareness in the coming year. Fox and Cheyenne will take their vehicles to Relay for Life events, with Cheyenne driving her Mustang around the track as others walk for a cure.
“We always try to bring awareness all the time, not just in October,” said Fox. “It’s to inform people that it could affect you. There’s always that chance; it’s possible and it could take your life within months.”
As a precaution, Fox undergoes annual mammograms and performs self-checks monthly.
“It could not be there one month, but it could form in the blink of an eye,” she said.
Fox and her daughter will continue to raise awareness, and she hopes that Cheyenne will continue the family’s pink car legacy. Fox’s husband is currently rebuilding her first car, a 1966 Ford Mustang, for Cheyenne, and the car will be painted pink when finished.
It’s Fox’s hope that the cars will continue to promote knowledge about the deadly disease.
“Everything little thing you do can have an impact.”
