DANVERS — Lynda Talbot was a very private person.
Only close friends and family knew about her lengthy battle with breast cancer. She was diagnosed four times over a 23-year period before succumbing to the disease in 2010. She was 61.
“She was very strong, very committed,” said Stacy Bazylinski, one of Talbot’s two daughters. Bazylinski was 12 when her mother was first diagnosed with breast cancer. “She battled this disease for a long time, 23 years. She was very determined to get better.”
“There’s a certain amount of determination,” she noted, “to recover from three prior diagnoses.”
On Sunday, Oct. 21, friends, family and the Danvers community will honor Talbot’s memory and others who have fought the disease in the second annual Lynda J. Talbot Memorial Walk/Run. The event kicks off at 9 a.m. at the Danvers YMCA.
“Our family lived in fear of this disease all our lives, and our worst nightmare finally came true,” said Julie Donnelly, Talbot’s daughter. “Every doctor appointment, every mammogram, every blood test, etc. took on a whole new meaning for us. Now we have to do something to help others.”
Last year, Bazylinski and friend Kristen Clark were thinking about participating in a Susan G. Komen for the Cure three-day walk. But after talking it over with others, they decided to hold a walk of their own.
“It made sense to do something locally in honor of my mother,” Bazylinski said.
The first Lynda J. Talbot Memorial Walk/Run was a success. More than 600 people participated. The money raised went to Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, ArtBecause, the Danvers YMCA and two scholarships for Danvers High School graduating seniors.
Bazylinski said the money raised through this year’s walk will go toward breast cancer research for a cure, but the exact organization has yet to be determined. Organizers also hope to continue to fund scholarships for Danvers High seniors.
A graduate of Danvers High herself, Talbot met her husband, Bruce, in high school and raised her family in a community she loved. It was family and mostly close high school friends who were her support system, Bazylinski said.
“A lot of the support has come directly through the community,” she said.
And although Talbot kept her battle private, the mark she left on her community is plain to see.
“For us, the amount of community support that we’ve received has been overwhelming,” said Bazylinski, who is also raising her family in Danvers. “Danvers is a wonderful town and people are very committed to one another here.”
For more information or the preregister for Sunday’s walk/run, visit racewire.com/talbot.
