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

Looking for a support group? Look no further!

Posted By on April 27th, 2010 at 11:00 am | 0 comments.

Have you recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and are looking for a support group?  Do you need to talk to others who have been where you are?  Is someone you love in this situation?  Are you at a loss for where to find groups in your area?  Well, the PBCC has the answer!

We have compiled a list of over 100 support groups across Pennsylvania, listing the group name, location, meeting days and times, and facilitators’ information if known.  Most of the groups are specifically for breast cancer support, but some are for anyone dealing with any type of cancer.  Some are geared toward a specific population such as African-American women, Latinas, young women, or those dealing with Stage IV or metastatic cancer.  Some groups focus on a specific facet of recovery such as exercise or spirituality.  Many are open to family members and loved ones.  Some meet in hospitals, some in women’s homes, and others in community centers or restaurants.  Many provide refreshments.  All are free of charge.  Check the notes for specifics on the particular group you are interested in.

We recommend you call the number on the listing to verify the group’s information.  Support groups sometimes change their meeting days or times without our knowledge so please call the facilitators before you decide to attend a meeting!

Finally, if you are a breast cancer (or general cancer) support group facilitator, or even just a regular attendee of one of these groups, we need your help!  Please visit our website and see if your group is listed.  If it is, do we have all the details correct?  If you see errors or if you know of a group not on our list, please email Kim at kim@pabreastcancer.org with the details and we’ll add them right away.

Posted in: Patient Advocacy, Programs, Uncategorized

State Legislator Has a Pink Challenge for You

Posted By on April 9th, 2010 at 2:28 pm | 0 comments.

You’ve seen your state legislators in their pinstripe suits and ties. You’ve seen them shaking hands and kissing babies during election years. But you’ve never seen them like this! Representative Scott Boyd will dye his hair pink when $10,000 is raised to support the PA Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC) through the Take a Swing Against Breast Cancer Home Run Derby.

To take Representative Boyd up on his challenge and donate to see his hair turn pink, visit www.ScottBoydsPinkHair.com.

“If we can raise $10,000 for the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, I will dye my hair pink for the first home run derby event of 2010 on Thursday, July 1st at Metro Bank Park with the Harrisburg Senators. This is a great way, no matter what your political affiliation, for every person to support the PBCC,” said Boyd.

The Take a Swing Against Breast Cancer Home Run Derby is a partnership between the PBCC and the PA Association of Community Bankers (PACB). The Home Run Derby events take place in all 11 minor league baseball stadiums throughout Pennsylvania. A complete schedule and more information on how you can sponsor, play or volunteer can be found at www.PaHomeRunDerby.org or by calling 800-377-8828 x102.

Posted in: Home Run Derby, Partnerships & Promotions
Tags: Awareness, baseball

There’s Good Inside Us All!

Posted By on April 9th, 2010 at 8:58 am | 0 comments.

The PBCC doesn’t spend a lot on advertising. We just don’t feel that’s a good use of our donor dollars. We’d rather use your hard-earned money to increase awareness and to provide direct services for survivors. But you can be a walking billboard for the PBCC and breast cancer awareness by purchasing one of these t-shirts designed by Greater Than Goods!

Greater Than Goods is a company that believes “there’s good inside us all.” They partner with non-profit organizations, including the PBCC, to create cause-related shirts. Then they share the proceeds with those organizations to work toward recovery, to help find cures, to provide hope. For each $20 PBCC shirt purchased, they donate $5 to our organization.

The PBCC shirts sport a hand-drawn design on the front that is an artistic representation of intertwining DNA, the mother/daughter bond, the past and the future. Click here to purchase either the ladies’ fitted raspberry shirt or the men’s gray shirt. And thanks for helping spread the word!

Posted in: Partnerships & Promotions

We Get By With A Little Help From Our Friends

Posted By on April 7th, 2010 at 10:46 am | 0 comments.

“It made me feel good to know that there are others out there just like me. I’m not alone.”

“It was profoundly heartening and I cried when I opened this knowing that others cared.”

“I felt that I wasn’t alone in this frightful journey and it gave me comfort and hope to know that others care.”

What are all these women raving about? The PBCC’s Friends Like Me care package, that’s what! Every week we send about a dozen Friends Like Me care packages to women who live in Pennsylvania and have been recently diagnosed with breast cancer. (Click here to request one for yourself or someone you know.) The package is filled to the brim with important information about breast cancer surgery and treatment.

We know the women who receive these care packages appreciate the educational stuff. They tell us so in every survey they send back. But my heart tells me that the best parts of the care package, the things that make these women feel like they are not alone, are the “soft touches”…the hand-knit scarves and chemo caps, the sweet construction paper “thinking of you” cards crafted by children, the paper clip angel ornaments made by Girl Scouts, the pink pins to wear proudly as a symbol of strength. These are the things that warm the hearts of the women who receive a care package. And these are the things the PBCC relies on you to donate!

Are you crafty like Kathleen Markley and Pauline Kring? Please consider knitting or crocheting some pink scarves or making needlepoint bookmarks. Do you sell Avon, Mary Kay or Longaberger like Rosanne Bair and Agnes White? Why not donate some samples of lotions, make-up or other small items? Do you own or frequent a gift shop or other business like Patty Platts and Mia Morrison? Perhaps you could send us small “feel-good” items that the store has on hand! (Click here to see a list of some recent donors and what they gave.)

The possibilities are endless, the benefits, immeasurable. And the ripples of your kindness will linger long after that pink box has been emptied and tossed in the trash.

Posted in: News, Programs

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!!

Posted in: News, Partnerships & Promotions

Find a Cure: One Bangle at a Time

Posted By on April 2nd, 2010 at 9:36 am | 0 comments.

Pennsylvania jewelry designer, Riz Soulliard, designed these bangles when her own mother got the news that she too, like many others, had breast cancer. Riz made them for women of all ages who would like to wear these beautiful bangles to show support and contribute to the mission to end breast cancer. Pretty pink ribbons that unite women all over the world boldly stand out on two white bangles and a beautiful solid pink bangle separates the two.

Wear them in the hope that someday we will find a cure. Click here to buy these bangles from her website.  50% of the proceeds from the sale of these bangles will go directly to the PBCC.

Posted in: Partnerships & Promotions

MRIs: Not Medically Necessary?

Posted By on March 31st, 2010 at 9:02 am | 0 comments.

Yet another patient called me today to say that her doctor wants to order an MRI, but her insurer will not cover the cost, calling MRIs experimental for the purpose of breast cancer detection.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) says “Breast MRI is not used for routine breast cancer screening, but clinical trials (research studies with people) are being performed to determine if MRI is valuable for screening certain women, such as young women at high risk for breast cancer. MRI cannot always accurately distinguish between cancer and benign (non-cancerous) breast conditions.”

I would welcome comments and advice from either side of this discussion.

Posted in: Patient Advocacy

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.

Posted in: News, Patient Advocacy

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.

Posted in: News

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.

Posted in: News, Patient Advocacy