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Pattie is our model for our 2006 Reserve Chardonnay.

Pattie is also our model for our 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cancer was to be but a bump in the road of life. . . . .

Anyone needing to be inspired by the energy and spirit of a breast cancer survivor need look no further than Pattie Daly Caruso. Few people wear as many hats as she does. Even fewer can juggle her schedule. This wife, mother, grandmother, TV show host, philanthropist, and socialite used her optimism, family, and Southern roots to deal with her breast cancer.

While on a busy freeway in sunny Southern California in 1998, a call on her cell phone from her doctor could have been the unanticipated brakes applied to her life as she knew it. The doctor told her, “We have a little problem, Pattie.” In a second phone conversation with him at her home that evening, he told her that she had breast cancer.

A myriad of emotions accompanied her diagnosis. The shock of hearing those words caught her off guard for a moment. Pattie recalls, “I remember thinking ‘Lord, just let me live so I can be a Grandma!’ I want to be here to watch my precious children continue making good choices on their paths and to enjoy my husband and family and friends! It was shocking to think I'd miss out on life with those I love so much and to be denied a chance to follow through with my hopes and dreams at work and at home.”

There was no history of breast cancer in Pattie’s family. While the diagnosis was shocking, the shock soon wore off, and was replaced by the need for a winning medical game plan. She was set to fight the Big C, just as her husband had done years earlier before losing his battle with bladder cancer. She called on the lessons she had learned from him : be strong, be brave, find humor. “I grew up in North Carolina, and come from a long line of Steel Magnolias,” offers Pattie. “I knew there were two things I had to do: fight and win.”

Motivation to fight and win was plentiful. The thought of leaving her beautiful daughter, wonderful son, and fabulous second husband, was just unthinkable. There was still so much to be done.

Surrounding herself with the best medical team available, Pattie moved forward. “I had wonderful medical care,” she says. “They made me wish I'd become a physician...they were so brilliant and caring! St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica is where my children were born and where I did not die. Dr. William Hummer, Dr. Bill Hutchinson, Dr. Lisa Vasak and, then in Palm Desert, the late Dr. Sebastian George were all incredible!”

“When I went in for surgery, they were playing my favorite song, I Believe I Can Fly. Everything went well.” Pattie had a mastectomy and reconstruction surgery. No chemotherapy or radiation was necessary, and three weeks later she was back at work.

“I faced surgery and its uncertainties, but my focus remained on the future, my family, and the good times yet to come. I was blessed with tremendous support. I turned to my family first...my husband, my daughter, my son, my brother (who drove 2 hours the night of my diagnosis to comfort me and drink champagne!), my Aunt Annie who is a nurse and knows more than most doctors, and then, of course, every medical person I'd ever known...I'm computer illiterate so that resource was not my first choice, but later I did gather information on the internet about advances in research.”

“I knew from the beginning that I would fight to win; there was no choice. All I pictured were the faces of my loved ones, and a new little person who would some day call me ‘Granny’. My faith in God held me up, and gave me strength to do whatever was necessary to live and be strong. This was constant and never faltered.”

In the midst of the surgeries and medical treatments, Pattie never doubted her eventual victory. “I can't say for certain that there was a day when I knew that I would win my battle with cancer. I'm a positive person and never believed otherwise. I just put one foot in front of the other, prayed a lot and moved forward, loving life and being grateful for each new day.”

Even with the most positive attitudes of cancer survivors, the possibility of a recurrence sometimes lingers in the back of the mind. “There is no assurance that cancer won’t come back, but why dwell on that? I eat good, healthy food, organic often, lots of salads, fruits and veggies. I workout a little and drink wine a lot ! I have my checkups and follow the advice of my physician, Dr. Davood Vafai. I believe strongly in something Eleanor Roosevelt said which my parents often quoted: "Yesterday's history, tomorrow's a mystery, today's a gift, that's why we call it the present"...and my Mom added "Live in the NOW moment!" I think of these things daily and am thankful for every blessing I enjoy.”

Pattie Daly Caruso is very generous in lending her time and talents for fostering cancer awareness and fund raisers for fighting the disease. She is seen frequently at benefits, galas, and luncheons, leading the way to make a difference. “Since this ‘adventure’ in March 1998, I have been and continue to be involved in and supportive of any and every group seeking to eradicate breast cancer and, in fact, all cancers. My fondest hope is to see everyone I know and love, and those I've never met, walk without fear because the final battle to find a cure has been successful, and we can all rejoice and be glad together !”

About Pattie Daly Caruso

Pattie has been an actress, dancer, writer, producer, and currently hosts her own television talk show Valley Views. She is President of PDC Entertainment. She says her greatest and most important job has been parenting two fabulous children.

Pattie lives in Palm Desert, CA with her retired husband, Richard. Her daughter, Quinn, is Senior Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations for Demand Media in Santa Monica. Her son, Carson, hosts “Last Call with Carson Daly” for NBC. Pattie is immensely proud of her children and especially thrilled to be the doting grandmother of Quinn and Joel’s beautiful daughter, Jaden Patricia.

Accolades are plentiful for Pattie. She was named “Desert Woman of the Year” in 2002, “First Lady of the Desert” in 1998, “Television Woman of the Year” in 1997, and was honored to receive the most prestigious Athena Award in 2003. She was featured on MTV’s “Celebrity Moms” and ESPN’s Jimmy V. Celebrity Golf Classic. On Mother’s Day 2004, Pattie was one of David Letterman’s “Top Ten Moms” on The Late Show. In 2005, she received a coveted star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars, honoring her many achievements and contributions to the Palm Springs desert. Pattie was a recipient of Lifetime Television’s 2004 Hero Award for her commitment to raising awareness and research for breast cancer.