It was only 8 months ago when we get the shock of our lives: my sister’s best friend had just been diagnosed with stage level IV breast cancer.
We were all taken aback: first, because she’s so young (only 31) and second, because she was misdiagnosed with a benign tumor only months before and we thought she was in the clear.
Unfortunately, that’s not how it turned out and it turned her life (and my sister’s life) upside down. Through thick and thin, she is a fighter and after a few rounds of chemo, it’s looking very promising.
But unfortunately, over 508,000 women die per year from breast cancer. Research needs to continue, and we need to do our best to support women in need.
So what can we do to support fellow women and get closer to reaching a cure?
Raise fundraisers
Getting regular check-ups, doctors, chemo, surgeries and more is expensive and not everyone has the insurance and can always pay the required amount.
Sometimes even with insurance the person has to leave their job and can really use financial help.
One of the best ways to help is by setting-up fundraisers.
To help my sister’s friend, we ran a fundraiser on GoFundMe. It was incredible! Within 48 hours we raised the funds as she was such a beloved part of our community growing up. We even exceeded our goal. 🙂
Donate to cancer foundations
There’s a lot of research and headway being done to battle cancer, but there is added financial support needed to continue the research and advance our knowledge. The French Cancer Institute is currently developing innovative techniques that show a lot of promise.
Donating can help improve the research that we know about cancer and can help us reach place where we can find treatments for each individual.
If you are considering where to donate to advance cancer research, please support the French Cancer Foundation. They are doing wonderful work treating cancer patients.
Support them in a time of need
When going through the process of chemo there are many ways to help a woman in need. Being there for them is one of the most important things one can do.
Keeping them positive and helping them with keeping the environment clean and bacteria-fee (because their immunity is very low due to chemo) is very important. Even tho sometimes the struggles are hard and sad holding on, for them, is something that they will be thankful for all their lives.
Take part in pink ribbon campaigns
Campaigns are huge fundraisers meant to collect donations to further breast cancer research.
There are many types of pink ribbon campaigns from ‘Run for the Cure’ races and runs, to buying pink items for which profit is provided for research.
There are also many non-profit organizations constantly coming up with new Pink Ribbon campaigns, as well as individual supporters and small groups.
By taking part (whether through participation, fundraising or donating), we’re all doing our bit to help bring attention to the cause and raise funds towards research and treatment.
Encourage women to get mammograms
According to the American Cancer Society, only 67% of women over 40 are getting mammograms at a yearly rate, with a large percentage of uninsured women not getting mammograms at all.
Early detection can be the difference between catching breast cancer at early stages before it spreads or the tumor has increased in size. This could make a huge difference in treatment options, survivability chances, less need for surgery, etc.
Encourage other women to get yearly mammograms to reduce the mortality rate and ensure early detection of breast cancer for more women.
If you have personal stories to share or more tips, please tell us below!
