Louisville sisters celebrate cancer battle by walking in Oaks Day Survivors Parade
A pair of Louisville sisters share more than a bond; they share a battle against breast cancer.
They celebrated their recovery by walking in the Oaks Day Survivors Parade.
It is a moving tradition that honors survivors of breast and ovarian cancer.
"I was in bed, and I kind of rolled over, and I was like, 'Oh that feels weird,'" said Toni Leitsch
That weird feeling led to the discovery of a lump and a breast cancer diagnosis.
Leitsch was diagnosed in March 2024.
"So I get a call from them on Good Friday of last year, saying, 'Yeah, it's positive, and you need to go see the surgeon on Wednesday,'" said Leitsch.
The diagnosis came one year after her older sister Ann was diagnosed with the same form of rare breast cancer.
"I feel like we've always kind of done everything together. We travel together, and so I even joked with her at one point, I was like, 'Well, you got cancer, so I had to get cancer, too.' It's a sister thing," Leitsch said.
Just as she had done with her sister the year before, Leitsch faced the diagnosis head-on.
It is something she had learned from being a police officer.
"I got through the police academy. I can get through this," she said.
Leitsch spent 32 years in law enforcement.
She retired from the Louisville Metro Police Department's Crimes Against Children Unit before moving to the Prospect Police Department.
"But every day I get up and I put my one foot in front of the other, and I go on because there's no other option," said Leitsch.
Just as they fought cancer side-by-side, Leitsch and her sister walked together in the Kentucky Oaks Survivors Parade.
"So it's going to be really awesome to, to share this experience with her. She did it last year. So again, you know, the older sister, she's leading the way," said Leitsch.
She hopes it will send a message of hope to others fighting the same battle.
"You're going to survive it. You just have to put one foot in front of the other. It's going to be difficult, probably the most difficult thing you've ever done, but you're going to be fine. Just keep it one foot in front of the other," Leitsch said.
Leitsch is still working at the Prospect Police Department in a civilian role as she continues treatment at the .
The sisters were among the 150 survivors who walked in the 17th annual survivors parade this year.