Published: October 29, 2009 11:41 am      

Breast cancer survivors take the field

Two local women found out what it feels like to perform at an NFL halftime show recently.

Pat Northcutt and her mother, Eloise Pettit — both breast cancer survivors — were invited to take the field along with 98 other Texas breast cancer survivors to form a gigantic pink ribbon in the middle of Cowboy Stadium.

“It was a chance of a lifetime,” Northcutt said of the experience.

She and Pettit are both active in breast cancer awareness and fundraising campaigns including Relay for Life.

Northcutt is on the First State Bank team which raises money for the annual event and participates each year.

Pettit still attends the relay —an all night walk-a-thon during during which cancer survivors, caregivers, family and friends of cancer survivors pledge to walk a track to raise pledge money for the American Cancer Society.

She also participates in the survivor lap and the caregiver lap.

Northcutt said her favorite Relay for Life activity is the lighting of the luminaries — a candlelight display to honor cancer survivors and those who have lost their battles with the disease.

“It’s quiet. It’s a really touching moment, and you’re thinking of the ones that didn’t make it,” she said.

Northcutt said she and her mother have been each other’s strength during the fight against the devastating disease.

“She was my caregiver and I was her caregiver,” she said.

Their activism made them good candidates for the halftime event which was sponsored by the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys.

The event was held to highlight Breast Cancer Awareness Month — a nationwide campaign spearheaded by the American Cancer Society.

Preparation for the show began early Sunday morning.

The women rode a bus with other cancer survivors to Cowboys Stadium in Arlington where they got the chance to meet the Cowboy’s cheerleaders during a practice session for the halftime event.

The women on the celebrated cheerleader squad were surprisingly sweet, Northcutt said.

“They just hugged us and shared such a good outlook on life,” she said.

The women sat together during the first quarter and left the field during the second quarter to prepare for the show.

Each woman wore a pink t-shirt.

Some also sported little pink hats and other gear.

The women had more in common than their t-shirts.

“It’s so good to meet people who know exactly what you’re going through,” she said.

Northcutt is a nine year cancer survivor. Pettit began her battle against cancer five years ago.

Both women joined survivors from the Dallas area.

“I think we were the only ones who participated who weren’t from the Metroplex,” she said. “We felt very privileged to be able to represent Cooke County.”

Northcutt said she didn’t feel nervous taking the field in front of thousands of football fans.

Individual faces were lost in a blur of color and motion, she said.

“It was like one of those puzzle books — “Where’s Waldo” — you couldn’t see anybody,” she said.

Although she couldn’t see the fans from the field, Northcutt said she was touched by the respect she and the other survivors found among the group inside the huge stadium.

“The audience stood up the entire time to show their respect. Then they high-fived us as we left the field. It makes you realize people really do care,” she said.