This week, we are lucky to have Komen board member Kim Zell share her site visit experience:
I am passionate about finding a cure for breast cancer and also about Komen Atlanta’s mission to enable women to detect and survive breast cancer. My life has personally been touched by the fact that 4 women from my immediate family have been diagnosed with the disease. Both of my grandmothers were survivors and also two aunts. I know the effects this disease can have on a woman and her family. I also know the power of a community of survivors supporting one another. That is the reason I am proud to be a part of the Komen Atlanta family.
As a board member, I visit one current Komen Atlanta grantee each year. This year I visited the Georgia Cancer Foundation. Every year nearly 6,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed in the state of Georgia. Through a grant from Komen Atlanta, GCF offers low-cost mammograms to women in need throughout the Atlanta metro area. Considering the current economic state and the high levels of unemployment factored with rising insurance costs, it isn’t surprising that demands on GCF are rising. GCF is able to provide unemployed, uninsured or underinsured women in the metro Atlanta area with a mammography for as little as $25. They also provide low-cost biopsies and ultrasounds to women who are referred to those services. Considering those procedures can cost up to $5,000, this is an amazing benefit being offered.
But GCF doesn’t only provide funding for screening and diagnostic services; they also provide support services for women currently fighting the disease. Through their Angel Boutique, women are able to get prostheses and mastectomy bras, wigs, turbans, hats and scarves at no charge. And through their program ChemoChic, women learn about healthy eating, relaxation techniques and much more. It empowers women to combat the adverse side effects of chemotherapy.
GCF is helping Komen Atlanta fulfill its mission to enable women to detect and survive breast cancer. Keep up the good work!
