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

Posts Tagged ‘resources’

FrontLine, PBCC’s Print Newsletter: Spring 2011 Edition Online

Posted By on March 30th, 2011 at 3:54 pm | 2 comments.

The Spring 2011 edition of the PBCC’s print newsletter, FrontLine, is now available online! Thanks to Issuu, this newsletter is available to everyone though various websites including Facebook and PABreastCancer.org. Over the next few editions, we will be working to increase online content for FrontLine including videos, photos, and more!

Currently, FrontLine is mailed out to over 57,000 households and businesses across the state quarterly. If you receive FrontLine in the mail and wish to instead receive correspondence from the PBCC electronically, email us! We’ll be happy to make the change.

Enjoy the Spring 2011 edition!

Has Your Daughter Been Diagnosed with Breast Cancer?

Posted By on March 15th, 2011 at 8:57 am | 0 comments.

A breast cancer diagnosis is stressful not only for the patient but for everyone who cares about her. Mothers of daughters with breast cancer face the challenge of wanting to protect their child while having no control over what is happening. This is also a time when the daughter needs emotional support from her mother.

In 1995,  Mothers Supporting Daughters with Breast Cancer (MSDBC) emerged from one mother’s experience. Charmayne Dierker and her daughter Lillie Shockney founded MSDBC, which provides free services for mothers who have daughters battling breast cancer.

Click here to order a free booklet or to be matched with a mother volunteer whose daughter is close in age to your daughter and has had the same type of breast cancer and same treatment. Lillie Shockney, RN, BS, M.A.S. has presented her widely popular Humor and Healing workshop at five PBCC annual conferences. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 at the age of 38.

Do you know a breast cancer patient who needs a wig?

Posted By on January 10th, 2011 at 10:47 am | 6 comments.

Crickett’s Answer for Cancer is a York, PA-based non-profit providing wigs, head coverings, massage therapies and pampering products for breast cancer patients. Bonnie Julius and Carole Trone founded the organization as a loving memorial to Crickett, Bonnie’s daughter and Carole’s cousin and good friend. After their devastating loss, they decided to fund those things that others might think are frivolous or unnecessary. Their goal is to provide women with hope, inspiration and and the support they need to celebrate their own lives every day, as Crickett did. She saw each day as an opportunity to live life to the fullest and to celebrate the gift of life.

To request services, visit www.crickettsanswerforcancer.org. After completing a simple application, you will be referred to a vendor or service provider in your area for the items or services. Crickett’s Answer for Cancer will pay 100% of the cost directly to the vendor on your behalf. You will have no out-of-pocket expenses.

I first learned about this remarkable service when my sister-in-law in North Carolina was able to get a wig through them during her breast cancer treatment. Since then, I have been happy to include Crickett’s Answer for Cancer in our list of resources for the women who call us for help.

PA Farm Show, Here We Come!

Posted By on January 6th, 2011 at 9:10 am | 0 comments.

Cambria Co. Exhibit OpeningThis year, the PA Department of Health invited us to be a part of the 2011 Pennsylvania Farm Show. It takes place January 8th to the 15th at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. This show is the largest indoor agricultural event in America with over 10,000 competitive exhibits, 270 commercial exhibitors and lots of animals including sheep, pigs, horses, cattle, goats, chickens and rabbits. (Don’t even get me started on the fantastic food offerings!)

Our 67 Women, 67 Counties: Facing Breast Cancer in Pennsylvania traveling photo exhibit will be on display for the nearly 400,000 visitors to view! We will have a PBCC table which will be staffed each day of the show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with lots of materials and helpful information.

Farm Show Packing CompletedIf you’ve ever been to the Farm Show, you know that TONS of people pass through the complex each day, which means we needed to pack up lots and lots of information and giveaways to hand out! This is one of those times when the staff really appreciates our volunteers. To prepare for the big event, Dennis and Gene, two of our regular office volunteers, counted out stacks and stacks of brochures, newsletters, fliers, pens, wristbands and plastic tote bags! Then they boxed up an assortment of things for each day of the event so we are sure to have items left toward the end of the week. This was a very tedious and time-consuming job, yet Dennis and Gene did it without a single complaint. Thanks, guys! We really appreciate your help.

So if you’re planning on coming to the PA Farm Show this year, please check out our photo exhibit and stop by the PBCC’s info table to say hi and pick up some info or a freebie or two. We have plenty ready for you!

Patient Advocacy in 2010: It was a busy year

Posted By on January 5th, 2011 at 10:02 am | 4 comments.

Today is only the third working day of 2011 and we have already talked with three women, all with different issues they need help with. One hasn’t had a mammogram in several years and has no insurance, another is a Medicare patient overwhelmed with co-pays for medical bills, and another is paying over $1,000 a month for insurance due to a pre-existing condition.

This past year, 75 women with breast cancer, or their friends or family members, called the PBCC for help. Often they sounded exhausted and told us that they’d already tried a number of other places and expected that we wouldn’t be able to help them. That just makes us more determined to find the resources they need.

Over half of the questions we hear are about medical bills and co-pays or mammograms. Of the 75 who called,

  • 21 needed financial help with medical bills
  • 20 needed mammograms and were uninsured or underinsured
  • 9 had questions about BCCPT (free treatment program) or other coverage
  • 6 needed help paying for prescriptions
  • 3 were breast cancer patients on the verge of losing their insurance
  • 3 had general questions or concerns about breast cancer
  • 2 needed lymphedema supplies
  • 2 wanted a referral for a specialist or a hospital
  • 2 needed to know where to get prostheses
  • 1 needed a follow-up mammogram, which her insurance wouldn’t cover
  • 1 was awaiting diagnosis and was exploring coverage options ahead of time
  • 1 was looking for information about home health care
  • 1 had questions about legal issues of an employer not allowing time off for treatment

2010 Evening Reception at the Harrisburg HiltonAlso in 2010 we added this question to our online Friends Like Me care package order form: “If this is a self-request, would you like the PBCC’s patient advocate to call you?”

Usually, we find that the information included in the Friends Like Me care package answers all of the questions a survivor may have. But all the recipients we talk with say that the phone call is one more reminder that she is not alone, the PBCC is here for her.

Shopping Resources for Breast Cancer Patients

Posted By on January 4th, 2011 at 9:02 am | 6 comments.

One of the most commonly-requested items here at the PA Breast Cancer Coalition is a list of shops and boutiques across the state that sell wigs, prostheses, and other breast cancer-related items.   For many women who have been newly-diagnosed, this is one of their first questions.

We currently have a list of about 20 boutiques, shops, salons and websites that sell various products geared toward cancer survivors.  They are located from Allison Park to Abington, from Latrobe to Lancaster, and beyond!

If you know of a boutique or shop in PA (or a website with an online store) that sells mastectomy products and/or wigs, please comment below with the name of the company or its website and we’ll investigate it.   If it meets our criteria, it’ll be added to our resource list.

The more we have on our list, the better the chances that one of these shops will be within driving distance of each woman who needs to purchase something!  Thanks for sharing your finds with the 103,000 women in Pennsylvania battling breast cancer!

Insurance Guidebook Saved Breast Cancer Patient $10,000

Posted By on December 17th, 2010 at 10:10 am | 2 comments.

When a newly-diagnosed women or a friend orders one of our FREE Friends Like Me care packages, he or she may request a phone call from our Patient Advocate (that’d be me). We have often thought that the contents of the package may answer many of her questions, so we allow some time for her to receive and review it before I call. This week we learned just how true that is.

I called a woman in Wayne County who received her package after Thanksgiving. She is quite an advocate in her own path to treatment and recovery. She has been researching prescription assistance programs and other community resources. When we were just about to end our conversation, she mentioned that part of her education was to read our insurance guidebook Breast Cancer: Covered or Not?, which was included in her Friends Like Me care package.

Of particular interest to her was the information on pages 102 and 103 about checking for hospital billing mistakes. So she took out her stack of mounting medical bills and sure enough…there was a double billing mistake to the tune of $10,000!

Her hospital acknowledges the mistake and is working to correct it. When she said “Your organization has already saved me $10,000,” it really made our day.

If you or someone you know can use advice in relation to breast cancer treatment and insurance, order your FREE copy of Breast Cancer: Covered or Not? today!  You can also request a Friends Like Me care package be sent to a recently diagnosed woman in Pennsylvania!

Give a Holiday Gift That Makes a Difference

Posted By on December 16th, 2010 at 9:02 am | 0 comments.

There are a few people on my holiday gift list that are impossible to buy for.  They either have everything they could possibly need, they never give me any gift ideas, or simply are scrooges who don’t like anything no matter what I get!  I’m sure you have a few of these people on your list.

Well, I have the perfect gift for those hard-to-buy-for friends and family members….a donation to the PA Breast Cancer Coalition in their honor.  It’s so easy to do.   Head over to our donation page, make your secure online donation, and let us know the name and address of the person in whose name you’re donating.   We will send you a thank you letter which can be used as a tax receipt, and we’ll also send the honoree a note explaining that you gave a gift to us in their honor.  If you’d rather let them know about the donation yourself, we can send their note to you instead, so you can wrap it and hand it to the person at your holiday get-together.   Simply let us know that in the comments section of the donation form.

How easy is that?  And who wouldn’t appreciate the idea that you made a donation in their name to the PBCC, THE source of breast cancer information and advocacy in Pennsylvania?   Who wouldn’t feel proud knowing a donation was made in their honor to help the PBCC represent, support and serve breast cancer survivors and their families all across the state?   Who wouldn’t love the idea that a holiday gift was made in their name to find a cure for breast cancer now…so our daughters won’t have to?

Help us continue our mission and programs while checking that difficult-to-buy-for person off your shopping list!  Thanks and Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Year End Giving: Pink Style

Posted By on December 14th, 2010 at 4:09 pm | 0 comments.

With the holiday season here and the white stuff flying from the sky, 2011 is knocking on our door.  Many take time off from work or school to spend time with family and friends during this time.  The staff at the PA Breast Cancer Coalition (PBCC) also spends time with their loved ones, but we always think about those who may have something else on their mind.

Breast cancer doesn’t take time off for the holiday or even a coffee break.  When you gather with your loved ones to celebrate the end of 2010 and the start of a new year, consider paying-it-forward to the women and families in Pennsylvania who are battling breast cancer.  Without the support of individuals like you, the PBCC wouldn’t be able to offer educational programming, advocate for legislation, or offer many of the patient resources available to new or recently diagnosed women.

Georgette Williams, a three year breast cancer survivor, has taken a stand and asked you to help the 103,000 women living with breast cancer in Pennsylvania.  Check out Georgette’s brief comments and consider a gift to the PA Breast Cancer Coalition today.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u97kiLoB-t4&w=450&h=283]

We Love Thank You Notes!

Posted By on November 17th, 2010 at 8:48 am | 0 comments.

The 2010 PBCC Annual Conference is history!  But thank you notes and emails are still coming into the PBCC office.   Many of these are from women and men all across the state who were given financial assistance to attend the conference in Harrisburg on October 13th.   The PBCC offers various levels of grants and scholarships to applicants who otherwise would not be able to attend this inspirational and educational event.
This year, through the generosity of donors to the Cary Massa Memorial Scholarship Fund, the PBCC was able to provide assistance to 35 women and men all across the state and beyond – a record number!

One scholarship recipient wrote:

To all who donate to the Cary Massa Memorial Scholarship Fund,
The very thought of cancer leaves one in a state of fear. You get so lost in deep concerns and issues faster than you can take a breath to consume the news. You begin to lay your options out to try to cope. People like yourself come into your life. Caring, unknown strangers opening their hearts and offering the help we so desperately need…knowledge, hope, facts, and most of all choices. Thanks to you, I will have this helpful information offered to me. I am extremely grateful for that. Without your help I would not have been able to attend.

Patty
Erie, PA

Another said:

Please extend my sincere thank you to the friends and family of Cary for the gift. The scholarship represents a very fitting way to honor a dear friend and volunteer to the PBCC. What a lovely way for Cary to be a woman who continues to help other women breast cancer patients/survivors.

Cora Lee
State College, PA

And a nursing professor at Towson University, 9 of whose students received scholarships, wrote:

Please accept my heartfelt thanks for providing scholarships for my Towson University nursing students. They were totally impressed with the event, collegiality, networking and opportunities to learn more about breast cancer. It was indeed a class act of a professional conference, as I also gained much needed valuable information and knowledge as an educator.

Janet
Hagerstown, MD

Please consider contributing to the scholarship fund to help women and men attend future PBCC conferences.  We cannot do this work without your support.  The PBCC and all the recipients thank you!