Author Joanne Ameruoso shares her story

The feelings of courage, love and respect radiated through the Merrick Golf Course Clubhouse last week, at author Joanne Amerouso’s signing event for her memoir “Faith Over Fear: How my mom’s fear of breast cancer became my fight.”

Amerouoso, 55, was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Valley Stream before settling in Merrick with her family. Several cancers run on both sides of her family, including breast cancer. The BRCA genes, which put women at a much higher risk for developing the disease, were not found in her genetic makeup.

Amerouoso’s mother, Mary Jane, died of breast cancer nine year ago, at 73. Reflecting on her loss, Amerouso realized much of her own health mimicked her mother’s.

“I literally followed my mom’s genetic footprints,” she said. “My mom had endometriosis — I had endometriosis. My mom had four miscarriages — I had four miscarriages. My mom had a hysterectomy at 31 — I had a hysterectomy at 32.”

Ameruoso opted to undergo a preventive double mastectomy at 48 — and learned that she had Lynch syndrome, an inherited genetic disorder that puts those who have it at risk for several cancers, including stomach, colon, liver, brain, skin and endometrial cancer.

“When you look into the factors of the DNA,” she said, “you dig deep, and you find answers.”

Amerouso told the Herald in January that losing her mom to cancer was a traumatic experience. “She was a person who never saw the hope or the faith,” she explained. “She was (so) overcome by the fear that she didn’t even try to save herself, which just destroyed my heart.”

Her memoir, released in November, seeks to do just what the title implies — help women like Amerouso overcome the fear associated with cancer.

“My mom, when she discovered she had a lump, dictated her own end result,” she said, “because she let the fear stand in the way.”

Ameruoso’s narrative of her own experience became her memoir. “It’s very compelling,” she said. “Knowledge is power. I just need to get the word out there. I did the preventative measure before it got me, and I didn’t have a lot of support.

“When I look back, I wish I had more people to help me,” she added. “One of my biggest goals is to provide women with as much resources and support as I can. And the only way to do that is to get people on my side, and network with me, and get this message out.”

Since the book’s release, Amerouso has been hosting book signings and other events to help spread the wisdom she learned from her own experience. Last week’s signing in Merrick was in partnership with Joe Baker, president of the South Merrick Community Civic Association, and featured special guest Geri Barish, executive director of the Hewlett House, a community learning resource for cancer patients and their families.

“We honored Geri for Women’s History Month,” Ameruoso said of the event. “She’s such a pioneer and a crusader for what she does for women in general — for all people with cancer.”

At the signing, Ameruoso told her mom’s story, and spoke about her mission to keep women as informed about breast cancer as possible. She added that the room was full of the feeling of love and inspiration.

“I always love meeting these woman because they inspire me to do more,” she said. “I met warriors — you know, survivors that have been through hell and back. I was on the preventative side — I did not have cancer.

“When you hear these women, their stories of what they’ve done through, it really makes you count your blessings.”

Books were available for purchase, and Ameruoso said she swapped contacts with many attendees to stay in touch with them for future events. The efforts of many people went into the success of the night, she said.

“Someone came and donated a flower cart,” she said. “Another girl, out of nowhere, just came with these beautiful balloons. I mean, everybody was just so willing to help. It really was just all brought together by love. It was such a warm feeling in that room. There may not have been a whole lot of us, but whoever was there, it was beautiful. It really was.”

To learn more about Ameruoso’s story, and to obtain a copy of her memoir, visit TinyURL.com/JoanneAmeruoso.