Never missed a race: 25 years of Heaven Can Wait for Porraz family

A spontaneous response to an ad in the newspaper turned into a cherished 25-year family tradition for Teresa Porraz and her family.

When Grace Porraz saw the ad in 2000 for a new charity event called the Heaven Can Wait 5k to support breast cancer patients and survivors, she thought it could be a fun activity to do with her mother-in-law Teresa, who had recently recovered from breast cancer. The fundraiser, now put on by St. Charles Foundation, wasn't something Teresa would normally do, but she decided to participate to support and celebrate other survivors. She didn't anticipate how important the walk would become to her life personally.

"We did that first walk and she was so proud that she had completed it after all the scary health stuff that she had been through," said Grace. "When we saw that it came around again the next year we said 'Yeah, this is going to be our thing, we're going to do this every time.'"

For 25 years, Teresa and Grace have never missed a race, even through a second bout with breast cancer and the Covid-19 pandemic. Teresa's favorite part of each race is collecting her commemorative pin and taking part in the survivor photo, each one a meaningful symbol of another year seeing her grandchildren grow up, another year of her health and hope for the future. Teresa's team has grown over the years as well, as more family members joined in on the tradition and more grandchildren were born, all walking to love and support the Teresa, who Grace calls 'the heart of our family.'

This year's walk will be especially meaningful for the family, not only as it marks the 25th anniversary of Heaven Can Wait, but also as Teresa, 72, was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 liver cancer. For the first time they will be walking as a team called For Teresa, a name that going forward will honor and celebrate Teresa and her legacy long into the future.

"This year will be a true celebration of what Teresa means to us and the role this walk has played within our family," said Grace. "It's our way of letting her know that it doesn't stop here - we're still going to keep supporting a cause that is very close to her heart and a part of her life for so long."

Despite multiple cancer diagnoses, Grace says that Teresa's strength is her determination to never see herself as a victim or feel sorry for herself. "She has things she wants to see and survive and live for; she's never let cancer stop her life. She's always just taking it one day at a time."

For several years Teresa, who lives in Bend, has served as a medical interpreter for Spanish speaking patients in Central Oregon, where she often shares her story and offers encouragement to the cancer patients she interprets for, in the hopes that it lets them know that they are not alone and that cancer does not have to bring their lives to a halt.

"I want to tell other survivors and cancer patients to find your thing that you can live for and focus on," said Teresa. "Remember that your family and loved ones want you here, that's enough reason to continue fighting. Don't let that diagnosis define you."

Community members can still sign up for Heaven Can Wait, set Sunday, Oct. 6 at 10:30 a.m. at Redmond High School. Find out more details and sign up today: Heaven Can Wait | St. Charles Foundation (stcharleshealthcare.org)

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