By the time doctors realized Amy Misiuk had breast cancer, it was too late.

On June 6, 2009, she entered the hospital with back pain — which she’d been having for months, but the hurt was particularly severe that day. Tests showed kidney failure, but doctors couldn’t figure out why. Misiuk’s body went into disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC): Her blood began clotting, cutting off supply to her organs, which shut down. She was taken to the ICU that night and less than 24 hours after entering the hospital, Misiuk died.

She was 34.

Now two years after her death and the breast cancer diagnosis that followed, Misiuk’s family and friends, including her sister and Redmond resident Sally LaBay, will be participating in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure in her honor. This will be Amy’s Army‘s second year in the event.

“It was just amazing when you look around at how many people are doing it,” LaBay said of her first walk experience last year.

The 60-mile walk will be from Sept. 16-18 and take place throughout western Washington. LaBay said the route changes each year but always ends at Seattle Center for the event’s closing ceremony. This year’s route has yet to be revealed.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

To be in the walk participants must pay $2,300 each. The proceeds will go toward breast cancer research and local community programs supporting education, screening and treatment. Because of the steep entry fee, people usually raise money to offset the cost — many times raising beyond the required amount.

For the second year in a row, the Amy’s Army team, which has seven members as opposed to last year’s 10, will be holding a fundraising yard sale. This year’s sale will be on Saturday in the Overlake Christian Church (OCC) parking lot, located at 9900 Willows Rd. N.E. in Redmond.

Scott Noon, facilities director at OCC, said having the sale in the church parking lot is their way of showing support for the community in helping people in need.

“We weren’t looking for any credit,” he said, adding that one of the church’s goals is to be a partner to the community.

Amy’s Army approached Noon about two or three months ago when the church was coordinating with the Redmond Fire Department (RFD) to provide chairs and tables for the department’s pancake breakfast during Derby Days. LaBay’s husband was one of the firefighters working with the church on this and inquired about using the parking lot for the yard sale.

Noon said this will be the first time OCC will have an event like the sale in their parking lot. He added that they have had recycling events and other church-related events but have not had many from outside organizations. In this case, he said, church officials review requests on a case-by-case basis.

LaBay said they decided to hold a yard sale to raise money because it is more difficult to ask for straight donations.

“It’s easier to ask people for their old stuff than for money,” she said.

A VARIETY OF ITEMS

Last year, the amount of donations filled two 24-foot trucks and the sale brought in about $12,000. The yard sale was held in Edmonds, where the LaBay family lived before moving to Redmond about two years ago. With an RFD firefighter for a husband, LaBay said they received a lot of help from the department in the form of donations and other general support, which is why they moved the sale to Redmond. Additionally, many of the donations and support they have received this year has been from people in the local community.

This year, LaBay said the number of items donated has been enough to fill one 24-foot truck and then some. She has already pre-sold a number of items online, bringing in a few thousand dollars already.

“This year we have a lot of antiques and collectible stuff,” LaBay said.

Additional items at this year’s yard sale include dishes, sporting goods, ski equipment, furniture, toys, books, brand-name clothes and electronics.

RFD will be onsite with a few fire trucks; there will also be a bake sale; and Krispy Kreme doughnuts will also be on sale.

WORTH THE PAIN

Once they are done with the sale, LaBay will begin training for the walk.

“That’ll be next on the to-do list,” she said with a laugh.

She said the most difficult part of the walk was the walk itself since it’s about 20 miles per day. Last year, LaBay said she would wake up each morning so stiff and ask herself why she was getting up so early to do it all again.

But then LaBay would think about Misiuk and how she never had a chance to fight. LaBay — who is 34, the age when Misiuk died — said her sister is her motivator and knowing she is walking on Misiuk’s behalf feels good. She is also motivated by the knowledge of giving others the chance to fight.

“I’ve got kids and nieces and nephews who have this (breast cancer) history,” LaBay said. “This walk is great for awareness and prevention. It’s huge. It’s a neat feeling to fight on behalf of someone or for someone.”