October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Last week I heard a report about Dr. Susan Love's creation of "an army of women" to help with breast cancer research. The idea is for women to register and become part of a database. Emails that detail the need for women who meet certain criteria (age, locale, background, etc.) will be sent out for women to decide if they want to volunteer to participate, which I understand will be as simple as giving a blood, urine, or tissue sample. I just signed up on Dr. Love's foundation website, which took less than a minute. In the upper right hand corner is a link to "Join the Army." Volunteers are essential for this research to go forward.
This most recent push is to find the causes of breast cancer by studying women who have not had cancer or women who have been cured with no recurrence. Treatment is better than it was thirty years ago. Women are diagnosed earlier than they were thirty years ago. But women still get breast cancer. And women still die from breast cancer.
I will admit that I was weary of the pleas for money - I give a small amount every year to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. This battle against breast cancer has been raging for as long as I can remember. What good does my $20 really do? I was feeling useless this year.
Then three things happened:
1) I saw breast cancer survivors on Oprah, women who were diagnosed, treated, and determined to help other women. Who am I to question what will help or not help when these women have fought for their lives and continue to fight for the lives of other women? Who am I to take my health for granted when I may be able to help other women in some small way?
2) I saw Dr. Susan Love speak on a morning show about her "army of women." I was interested. There might be a way little ol' me can help with research? Sign me up.
3) Elaine, over at WiseWomenCoffeeChat, walked 60 miles this week-end to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Elaine has raised over $5,000 for breast cancer research. Anne wrote a post about Elaine's walk here. I stopped over and left a comment to thank her for reminding me that there is something each one of us can do in this quest to find the cause(s) of breast cancer so the next generation does not have to lose mothers, daughters, lovers, and friends to this disease.
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2 comments:
A friend who was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago sent me a link to the website a while back. At the time I couldn't get logged on to register so put it on my "to do list." It got replaced by several other computer "to do" items, so thank you for the reminder.
The $5000 I raised was made up of a lot of $20 donations. And my fellow DC walkers generated over $7 million for research and education. So, feel good about your $20 donation! It does make a difference.
Thanks for the good info about the database. I will join and spread the link around.
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