From the Big C to Advocacy
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993,
at the age of 45, I did not think I would live to see my daughter
Gail, who was fourteen at the time, graduate from high school.
I am thrilled that I have lived long enough to attend her college
graduation in 2001. Although thirteen years have passed since
my breast cancer diagnosis, there is not a day that goes by that
I don't fear a future recurrence.
Breast Cancer came as a shock. I had always been healthy - ate right, exercised, never smoked, rarely drank alcohol. I was vigilant about doing monthly breast self exams and had yearly mammograms.
I had even breast fed Gail for several years. And, I had no significant family history of breast cancer. So, how could this happen to me?
Following my treatment, I started to consider how many women across the country were going through the same thing I was going through. I also thought of all the women who will go through this - but don't even know it yet. And I thought about my own daughter, and realized that I must do some thing to end this disease.
In 1997, I gathered a small but mighty group of women in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area and together we created Iowa Breast Cancer Edu-action, an education and advocacy group.
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Our first mission was to help women diagnosed with breast cancer make decisions about how to receive quality care.With distribution of 8,000 free copies of the Iowa Breast Cancer Resource Guide, our goal was to empower women and men, and help them seek the best possible treatment and healing. And empower them we did. |
We joined forces with others and created the all Iowa Breast Cancer Advocacy Network to advocate for the prevention and cure for breast cancer. At the same time, we joined over 500 other organizations and tens of thousands of individuals and became members of the National Breast Cancer Coalition. Each spring the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) holds an advocacy conference in Washington, D.C. to educate and empower breast cancer activists. The weekend conference culminates in a day of meetings with Members of Congress, during which activists use the skills they learn to ask Iowa Senators and Representatives to support legislation relating to quality care and the eradication of breast cancer.
Iowa Breast Cancer Edu-action needs to increase our volume on Capitol Hill and is looking for Iowa women and men to join us for an amazing experience. We need Iowans from every Congressional District (including yours!) to help us achieve victories through the legislative process. NBCC's Annual Advocacy Training Conference takes place early in May of each year in Washington, DC. For details, check out NBCC's website www.stopbreastcancer.org or call Iowa Breast Cancer Edu-action at: 319.266.0194 |
