Cancer - The Real Equalizer

Look around you, who do you see? Does she look like you? Is her lifestyle like yours? Does she drive a fancy car? Does she live in a McMansion? Is she famous? Does she have breast cancer?

Did that last question throw you off and feel like it doesn’t belong? Guess again. It’s THE question that connects all of us. Whether it’s breast cancer or any other disease, it is the only discriminator that brings equality to all of us. It matters not if you are rich or not so rich, pretty or not so pretty, young or not so young, we all get sick. The BIG thing that makes a difference for all of us is how we plan to pay for our medical bills when we do get a major disease. Many women do not have medical insurance to help cover expenses and even those who have medical insurance the out of pocket expenses can devastate a budget (my own expenses ran over $10,000).

Did you know that 50% of family bankruptcies are due to medical expenses?

Did you know that those who do not have medical insurance delay medical attention and are almost as twice as likely to die within 5 years as those with insurance?

Some sources estimate the total cost for breast cancer treatment somewhere between $75,000 to $200,000 depending on the type of treatment received.

Now you can see that many women and families just can’t afford to cover medical expenses for breast cancer. They not only have to fight for their lives but at the same time they have to worry about where the money will come from. And did I mention that most never saw it coming?

Thank goodness for organizations whose mission is to provide financial support to these sheroes. Their support only goes as far as their funds permit. One such organization who is making a difference for so many women is the The Pink Fund. It provides financial aid for medical and household expenses to get women through treatment and back to work. The Pink Fund was founded by Molly MacDonald, a five year breast cancer survivor who knows firsthand what it’s like to need financial assistance while undergoing breast cancer treatment. Watch for a post soon on Molly and The Pink Fund.

While I agree that money needs to be raised for research so that one day the word breast cancer won’t be part of our vocabulary, I absolutely know that there isn’t nearly a large enough voice for the many women who need financial assistance. If you want to support these sheroes, before you give to a breast cancer non-profit with this mission please be sure to ask how much of their revenue raised actually goes to these sheroes. Look for organizations whose mission is to put as much money raised in the hands of our sheroes….they need you. Please consider making a donation to The Pink Fund as they are one organization truly dedicated to sheroes...thank you!

Pink Parties Going Viral

You’ve been invited to a friend’s house for a girl’s night-out party. She asked you to bring an appetizer to share and item that you once treasured but would like to see someone else enjoy it. During the evening you have a chance to chat with friends, learn about breast health and raise money for a local organization that supports women undergoing breast cancer treatment….would you go?

Pink Parties are becoming the rage and it’s easy to see why. They combine treasured time with friends and raising funds for a great cause. That treasure you were asked to bring will be recycled and raffled off at the party to raise money; the breast cancer information sitting on the sideboard may save your life one day; the fellowship with friends is just what your needed and the women being helped by your party is priceless!

Pink Parties are the up and coming way to support a great cause. They are fun and easy to host. To get you started, here are party tips for your Pink Party CelebrateInPink.com/Pink_Parties. Raise even more money for your charity and make your Pink Party even more special by using Celebrate In Pink partyware. We offer our products to the hostess at discounted pricing for resale at the party, so that any profits can be given to support your chosen breast cancer charity.

Who knew that one party would change someone’s life? Who knew that you and your friends would pay for chemo treatments and copays, utilities and food, wigs and other incidentals? Who knew that this would be the best party you ever had? Start planning your Pink Party now and see how many other Pink Parties you can spawn, let’s go viral with Pink and make a difference one party at time. Call us for more ways to raise money at your party or for help finding a local organization in your community.

Women Over Winter

Looks like we are on the downside of winter, Yippee! With the holidays over we really need diversions to keep our sanity intact until Spring. Really, there isn’t much in the way of activity between January and March so we have to work at it. This time of the year can be harder for some especially if cold temps, snow storms and early sunsets get you down.

I decided to embrace the ugliness of winter and tackle it head on. I signed up for an exercise class that starts at 6pm, that way my endorphins are peaking and the early sunsets don’t really bother me. I also found that making it a point to schedule more dinners and outings with girlfriends has helped. Having friends over also does the trick, just being with friends makes everything better. It’s the one time of the year that we should force ourselves to get out and do more in spite of the weather. I like to think of it as women over winter with women winning. Perhaps a’ Women Over Winter’ rotating party every month is just what the doctor ordered.

I’m sure there are lots of fun and creative things to divert us from winter, would love to hear about some of the things you do that make winter more delightful. Just think, if we stick together and share ideas, maybe just maybe we’ll look forward to next winter – NOT :)