Everyone thinks October is all about Halloween, but it’s more than that. This month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month which raises awareness about women with breast cancer and early detection. When caught early, the 5-year relative survival rate for localized breast cancer is 90%. Every 1 in 8 women get breast cancer throughout their lifetime, and we can show support for them and honor those who have passed battling the disease.
Founded in 1913, the American Cancer Society designated October 1985 as the start of Breast Cancer Month. The universal and iconic pink ribbon symbol was created in the early 1990s. Despite the ribbons’ widespread popularity around the world, they previously faced lots of controversy. It originally started as peach ribbons but was changed because of Estée Lauder. Now, these ribbons symbolize hope, strength, and support for those fighting the horrible disease.
After talking to Spanish, French, and Latin teacher Dr. Breedlove, who has beaten breast cancer, she stated, “What was it like emotionally? Sometimes, such as when people expressed support and caring for me, it was heartwarming. Other times, it was mildly to extremely unpleasant physically and emotionally. It was also stressful, confusing, interesting, tough, and exhausting, depending on the day and sometimes even the moment. For the first month or so, it was pretty difficult. I felt guilty for leaving my students, since I knew there wasn’t a sub who was qualified to teach either language. I also felt guilty for sitting at home all the time and not being more productive. Obviously, I was home for a very important reason, but it was hard to transition from being a person who gives to others to being a person who receives from others and has to ask others for help.
“It wasn’t really scary for me. My prognosis was always very positive, meaning that I never had to wonder if I would die. Since I knew I would live, I knew that it was just a matter of enduring some unpleasant things for a while. And when I know that the end of a trial is coming, it’s much easier to bear.”
Fighting any form of cancer is difficult, and we should support anyone in our lives who is facing this challenge. Everyone shows support differently, but we can all help, listen, and respect them as they battle. You can help them with mundane daily tasks like cooking, cleaning, and other chores. Staying connected to people battling cancer can help their journey feel less isolating, and acting normal can help them feel happier and less out of place, because they are still human, not fragile and helpless. To provide support to foundations such as the American Cancer Society, you can donate. Even the smallest amount matters to research and the effort to eliminate cancer.
During this time, we honor the women fighting but also the women who have lost their lives. We respect their battle and bodies’ fight against the horrible disease of cancer. We remember their impact on our lives and how each one of those women helped scientists discover and learn more about how to prevent and cure cancer.
So, if you have any friends, family, or women in your life with breast cancer or who have defeated the disease, we honor their strength, support them, and let them know they are not alone.
