When I was a little girl, 7 or 8 years old, I found my grandmother's prosthetic breast in the bathroom. I had no idea what it was as I had never seen anything like it before. Of course, I picked it up as I assumed it was a sponge of some sort, and my grandmother walked in. She was angry that I was holding it and only now do I fully understand that what I saw as anger, was most likely embarrassment. I didn't know anything at all about illnesses as I was just an innocent little girl, but she went on to tell me that she had to have her breast removed and then she showed me part of her chest. I was so scared and confused, as no one had ever told me anything so serious. When my mother returned from her outing, I told her what happened, and she told me very little as it was the early 70's and that was the way it was. Fast forward to February 2010. My Mother calls a family meeting and tells us that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. I am a mother of two little girls. I have to do something to help find a cure, not only for my mother, but for myself and my daughters and all of the amazing women in this world.
5% of all sales from Loveletterscharms.com will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation was established by Evelyn H. Lauder in 1993, with the intention of bringing about a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime. Larry Norton, MD, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, has directed the Foundation's scientific activities since its beginnings. In 2002, BCRF expanded its mission to include prevention as well as cure, reflecting the direction of its research grants aimed at prevention as well as treatment. Since inception, BCRF has increased its annual funding level more than 200 times over, with grants now supporting more than 170 scientists based in 10 countries (and with projects extending to 28 countries)--a very long way from the $159,000 to eight researchers awarded in 1994.
BCRF-funded research has helped save lives and significantly improved the quality of care and survivorship for tens of thousands of breast cancer patients in the past decade and a half. The research itself has revealed that "cure" is a mosaic made up of as many approaches to diagnosing, treating, preventing and surviving as there are different types of breast cancer.
© 2012 Love Letters Charms. All rights reserved.
