Finding a cure now...so our daughters won't have to.

Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Fighting Breast Cancer One Search at a Time

Posted By on April 6th, 2010 at 8:15 am | 0 comments.


GoodSearch: You Search...We Give!The PBCC participates in numerous ways for Internet users to fight breast cancer.  One of our partners, GoodSearch, is holding a special donation period for the next three days.  GoodSearch will donate a $1 for every toolbar that is downloaded between April 6th at 9am EST and April 9th at 9am EST up to $5,000!! Download the toolbar right now!

Our new PBCC toolbar is FREE to download and allows you to raise money for our cause every time you search or shop online! Once added to IE or Firefox, each time you shop at more than 1,300 stores (from Amazon to Zazzle!) a percentage of your purchase will automatically be donated to PBCC- at no cost to you (and you may even save money as the toolbar provides coupons and deals as well!). The toolbar also has a search box and each time you search the Internet, about a penny is donated to PBCC.

Please hurry and do this now so that we can earn the $1 bonus per toolbar!

And, please pass this along to all of your friends! The two minutes it takes to add this toolbar to your browser can make a lifetime of difference for our cause!

Get the toolbar NOW!!

Update: HAPPY ENDING to the Medicaid, Part D story

Posted By on March 30th, 2010 at 9:44 am | 0 comments.

In an attempt to keep those in a similar situation up to date, I have a happy ending to the patient who is on Medicaid, Part D who was in the application process for help from the pharmaceutical company’s Patient Assistance Program.

I’m happy to report that the breast cancer patient I wrote about earlier is now on a Patient Assistance Program (PAP) and has received her first free refill of Xeloda, an oral chemotherapy prescription drug. PAPs are sponsored by pharmaceutical companies and provide free or discounted meds to patients.

If you or someone you know has been recently diagnosed with breast cancer, please contact the PBCC if there is anything we can do to help. This is why we’re here.

Inspired by an Annual Appointment

Posted By on March 29th, 2010 at 11:04 am | 0 comments.

Today a lady from Ephrata walked into our office with a beautiful, handmade, crocheted doily that she has just completed.  It’s 30” in diameter, pink and very intricate.  Her name is Pat King and a year ago she brought us a beautiful handmade bedspread.

She seems to be inspired to make these items on the event of her annual mammogram.  What an awesome idea!

We will use this as an auction item at an upcoming event and turn it into a cash donation, and someone will get a lovingly made item.

Thank you Pat.   Pat said she loves to do this and it took her about 3 weeks.

Update: Patient on Medicaid, Part D

Posted By on March 26th, 2010 at 1:32 pm | 2 comments.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a patient on Medicaid, Part D. The co-pay for her prescription is way beyond her monthly budget ($300 every 3 weeks).

Currently, she is in the application process for help from the pharmaceutical company’s Patient Assistance Program. We have recommended that she contact the Patient Advocate Foundation for help through their Co-Pay Relief program.

For now, her doctor was able to secure a one-time free prescription refill which we hope will see her through until a more long-term solution is found. This patient is one of so many we work with who are struggling with “paying their bills or buying their pills.”

If you or someone you know has been recently diagnosed with breast cancer, please contact the PBCC if there is anything we can do to help. This is why we’re here.

Breast Cancer in Young Women

Posted By on March 10th, 2010 at 3:27 pm | 0 comments.

The PBCC hears from many women each week who are newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Recently, I took a call from a mother whose 15 year old daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer.  15! I spoke to her for over 20 minutes in awe. She seemed to have everything in order: doctor’s appointments, courses of treatment, breast cancer statistics, etc. She even spoke of her daughter’s “pediatric breast oncologist” – those are three words you don’t hear together every day!

We will send her daughter one of our Friends Like Me care packages filled with lots of information and soft touches – I only wish we had more to provide her about teenage diagnosis. Thankfully, this is not something we hear of everyday. I hope that by talking and listening to their story I was able to help in some way.

If you or a loved one are diagnosed with breast cancer, please feel free to call us at 800-377-8828 – we’re happy to help in any way we can!

We’re a Driving Force!

Posted By on February 23rd, 2010 at 3:58 pm | 0 comments.

The PBCC puts over 20,000 miles on our van each year just from driving to Grassroots Partners events, press conferences, health fairs, meetings and other activities all throughout Pennsylvania. That’s why when Penn State University Lady Lion Basketball sponsored the PBCC to have our van wrapped, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity!

I.D. Wraps did a great job turning our formerly silver Toyota Sienna mini-van into one big pink awareness piece to take across the state. If you see us out in your area feel free to honk, shout and wave as we go by!

Watch our van being wrapped in the high speed installation video below. Thanks again to Lady Lion Basketball and I.D. Wraps for making this dream come true!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdGuszIQ1BM]

A last hurrah at the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees

Posted By on August 17th, 2009 at 11:51 am | 0 comments.

The final stop on our 11 stadium tour took the PBCC staff to PNC Field, the home of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. We had a full schedule with 12 teams stepping up to the plate. Many of the batters had heard about the Derby through local press, and that helped to get the word out! Thank you to the Scranton Times-Tribune, WNEP-TV, and WBRE-TV for your help!

There was fierce competition amongst the teams. But check out the final standings:

PeoplesNational Bank Team 2 – 1,155 points
Wilkes University Team 1 – 1,100 points
Team Sen. Bob Mellow – 1,075 points
Wilkes University Team 2 – 910 points
Berwick High School – 815 points
S/WB Yankees Front Office – 730 points
First National Community Bank – 525 points
Scranton Times-Tribune – 485 points
PeoplesNational Bank Team 1 – 485 points
Scranton Federation of Teachers Team 1 – 380 points
Scranton Federation of Teachers Team 2 – 350 points
WNEP-TV – 340 points

Out of our 12 teams, we had a few home run hitters! Joe Ferretti from PeoplesNational Bank Team 2, Jim Davis from Team Sen. Bob Mellow, Randy Dengler from Wikes University Team 1, and Chris Wychock from Wilkes University Team 2 all hit a homer!

A HUGE thank you goes out to the countless number of volunteers from various organizations including Blue Cross of NEPA. Also, another thank you to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees for their hospitality! Check out all of the photos from Friday!

In a couple weeks I will get up a summary about the entire season! The final stats are still being tabulated!

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE DERBY IS ON!!

Posted By on July 29th, 2009 at 8:29 pm | 0 comments.

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Home Run Derby has been rescheduled for Friday, August 14th at PNC Field.

If you were on a team, you should have received a phone call already! If you were volunteering, you will be called soon!

There are still spots available to volunteer and have a team! Grab a few friends and come out to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees at PNC Field on Friday August 14th to support the PA Breast Cancer Coalition! Call 1-800-377-8828 today!

Are YOU Ready to Take A Swing Against Breast Cancer?

Posted By on June 23rd, 2009 at 7:37 pm | 0 comments.

Today, the PA Breast Cancer Coalition and the PA Association of Community Bankers held a press conference in the Main Rotunda at the PA State Capitol to kick off the 2009 PA Home Run Derby!

Speakers included PBCC President & Founder Pat Halpin-Murphy, PACB President & CEO Frank Pinto, All-Star Statewide Sponsors Ted Williams of Ameriprise Financial and PA State Rep. Rick Taylor, Dauphin County Commissioner Nick DiFrancesco, and PA State Rep. Garth Everett.
After a few stories of personal run-ins with breast cancer, every speaker asked for Pennsylvania’s support of the 2009 Home Run Derby. Rep. Garth Everett presented the House Resolution which will declare July the Home Run Derby Month in Pennsylvania.