In the News Hughes: Who's Your Suzy? | Hughes: Who's Your Suzy? |
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Savannah Morning News l October 17, 2008
When breast cancer hits someone you love it can change your life forever. In 1982, Nancy Brinker watched helplessly as her 36-year old sister, Susan G. Komen, died of breast cancer. Nancy made a promise to her dying sister Suzy that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. That promise launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Komen has raised over $1.2 billion so far to fight the war on breast cancer and will invest another $2 billion over the next decade.
Locally, the 2 year-old Coastal Georgia Affiliate of Komen for the Cure raises money to fund breast health education, screening, treatment and research programs. Currently, Komen supports: Community Health Mission, J.C. Lewis Health Center/Union Mission, National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer, Diversity Health Center, Coastal Health District, St. Joseph’s/Candler, and Memorial Health. Komen Coastal Georgia will soon award at least $150,000 to breast health educators and providers that are committed to the fact that early detection saves lives. Savannah’s first “Race for the Cure,” which will be held on April 18, 2009, will increase these grants to several hundred thousand dollars. Working together, we can truly make a difference in decreasing the unacceptably high breast cancer mortality rates in Coastal Georgia.Who’s your Suzy? Chances are that you are reading this because you or someone you love has been touched by breast cancer. Maybe you know a neighbor or co-worker battling breast cancer. Perhaps you are leafing through because the Savannah Morning News Paint the Town Pink campaign made you want to learn more about breast cancer. Or maybe the pretty pink paper caught your eye. Whatever your reason for reading, this Breast Cancer Resource Guide serves as an excellent source of information to answer many of your questions about this dreaded disease, such as: · Genetic testing – should you be tested for genetic mutations linked to breast cancer?· Support groups – how do you connect with others battling breast cancer?· Lifestyle – what healthy choices can you make to help prevent cancer?· Information – where can you look on-line for credible sources of information?· Chemotherapy – can the new anti-cancer drugs protect healthy tissue and organs?· Reconstruction surgery – is it right for everyone?· Hormonal therapy – how do drugs like Tamoxifen prevent cancer cells from getting the hormones they need to grow?· Clinical trials – what are the pros and cons of participating in studies that determine the safety and effectiveness of new treatments in humans? Information is power. Knowledge is power. Thank you to the Savannah Morning News for publishing this Breast Cancer Resource Guide which empowers readers to proactively take responsibility for breast health, to courageously battle breast cancer and to support others in the fight. For all of the Suzy’s out there: our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, friends, neighbors and co-workers who have battled breast cancer, some successfully and some unsuccessfully, this one’s for you. Amy Haywood Hughes is a Partner in Hughes Public Affairs and serves as President of the Coastal Georgia Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. |