The End of Breast Cancer?

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and it is a time when the US transforms into the land of “think pink”. It is great that we live in a country where such awareness and respect are given to the terrors of a disease like breast cancer. But, unfortunately for some of us, breast cancer is so much more than “pink”, and the focus extends well beyond October.

I am the daughter of a warrior, the granddaughter of a survivor, and a sister, aunt, and mother to many well-loved females at risk in my family. For us, we are aware of breast cancer, and the screening that is required for early detection. What we really need is an END. I want to live in a world where my daughters can grow up with breast cancer being a disease of the past, and in honor of them, I need to focus my efforts, energy, and money into measures that are acting to end this terrible disease.

While many organizations are working tirelessly and raising immense funds for breast cancer, the National Breast Cancer Coalition is embarking on a bold initiative. They have set a deadline to end breast cancer by 2020.

According to the NBCC :

In 2010, the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) set a deadline to know how to end breast cancer and launched a plan to achieve it. Breast Cancer Deadline 2020^®is a call to action for all stakeholders – policymakers, researchers, breast cancer advocates and others – to concentrate their efforts on knowing how to end the disease by the end of the decade. It is intended to shift the focus toward what will truly benefit women, to encourage new approaches, and to look at the disease differently. NBCC will continue to work relentlessly toward these goals until they are met. The Accelerating the End of Breast Cancer Act (S. 865, H.R. 1830), is a vital component of Breast Cancer Deadline 2020^®and complements and enhances these efforts.

Today is NBCC’s virtual lobby day! It’s our chance to help get to the end of Breast Cancer, and with the power of numbers and the influence of social media, we can have a real impact that may change the way our daughters, sisters, mothers, and grandmothers will face this scourge of a disease. We want to accelerate the end of breast cancer in this congress by asking legislators to pass #HR1830 #S865. This year alone, 40,000 women and men will die from breast cancer in the United States. You can help them!

Here’s what you can do:

• Please post the following message on your social media page to help end breast cancer:

I vote & it’s important to me that the Accelerating the End of #BreastCancerAct pass in this Congress #HR1830 #S865

• Please go onto the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition’s Facebook and Twitter pages to share and/or retweet the messages we have sent out to our networks. Help share this message with your local legislators, neighbors, and friends. The Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition is an organization that serves not only the residents of Delaware, but also those who live in both Chester County and Delaware County. You can find more information at www.debreastcancer.org 

Just in case you are not sure who your legislators are, here is a quick reference with their Twitter handles.

Delaware

Sen. Tom Carper | @SenatorCarper

Sen. Chris Coons | @ChrisCoons

Rep. John Carney | @JohnCarneyDE

Pennsylvania

Sen. Bob Casey | @SenBobCasey

Rep. Lou Barletta | @RepLouBarletta

Rep. Bob Brady | @RepBrady

Rep. Charlie Dent | @RepCharlieDent

Rep. Mike Doyle | @USRepMikeDoyle

Rep. Chaka Fattah | @chakafattah

Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick | @RepFitzpatrick

Rep. Jim Gerlach | @JimGerlach

Rep. Tom Marino | @RepTomMarino

Rep. Patrick Meehan | @RepMeehan

Rep. Tim Murphy | @RepTimMurphy

Rep. Scott Perry | @RepScottPerry

Rep. Joe Pitts | @RepJoePitts

Rep. Keith Rothfus | @KeithRothfus

Rep. Bill Shuster | @RepBillShuster

Rep. Glen “GT” Thompson | @CongressmanGT

Rep. Pat Toomey | @SenToomey

Read more about how to help today on NBCC’s website: http://thndr.it/1sdhtUq.

Thank you for your support in doing so much more than just thinking pink!