Justice Pariente.

I read the November 1 News article on Barbara Pariente's battle with breast cancer with mixed emotions. On the one hand, no one who knows anything about the process of being given a diagnosis of breast cancer and then going through treatment could help but feel sorry for what she has gone through.

However, as an attorney and a volunteer who has spent many years working to help end the disease, or at least increase the chances of survival, I am thankful for her decision to make her condition public. Breast cancer does not respect title, race, or age. As was observed in the article, even a woman following a healthy lifestyle such as the justice can be stricken.

While Justice Pariente could have elected to keep her condition to herself, her decision to make it public and discuss the details of her case...