In Her Shoes

FORT WAYNE, INDIANA - This pic is a little blurry, but isn’t that just like life sometimes, anyway? So awhile ago I introduced you to Jen. She went for her first mammogram, to get a baseline. Good move, smart decision, you should all do likewise. :) Jen gets a call "Can you please come in? We found...an...anomaly." No one wants that call, no one wants that sinking-to-the-pit-of-your-stomach feeling, but she got it. She texted me right away and I said "Ok, when and where is the next appointment? I'm coming with you." We went, and she's fine (thank you, God). But really, just going and hanging out with someone at a scary part of their lives is sometimes just enough to help. In the end, as always, Jen ended up giving me more comfort than I was giving to her! I love that sometimes when you go to help someone, you get helped right back in return.

In Service

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – By now, you’ve all see those websites you click to give free mammograms to women in need, right? Then you click like mad just hooooooping it might make a difference and not be a sham? I was talking to a woman who asked me “well, what do we do if they get bad news? They couldn’t afford the test, how can they handle the treatment?“ Exactly. There are service groups popping up all over the country, and I encourage you to take a look at what they do. Some offer gas cards to get back and forth to treatment, some offer gift certificates for food, the lists go on. Here in Indiana there is a group called IWIN who helps reach out with such things, and I hope every state can do the same. It is important that people know that this disease is financially devastating – even to those of us who have great jobs with wonderful insurance! The total costs of things not covered or even anticipated are staggering. I am writing this today because I spent quite a bit of time this past week with a woman battling breast cancer. She has an incredible job, prominent position, good benefits. The things she has had to do to try to make it financially was a reminder to me to ask you all to be sure to donate for services as well as research. She said to me “Heidi, I had to go in for another biopsy today. I’m terrified they will tell me my cancer has returned - not because I am afraid to die, but because I know we can’t afford to go through this again." Please support research as always, but don’t forget the immediate needs of patients as well.

UPDATE:
This story that was recently in the news illustrates just this point.

In Her Shoes

FORT WAYNE, INDIANA - She’s a sassy little thing, my friend Jen. She’s a great mommy, a wonderful friend, a hard worker and thinks her boss walks on water. Great qualities, huh? All of those things, those uniquely Jen things that make her so special to me are the reasons that she did what she did today. She knows that her daughters need her around for many many many years, and that her friends need her the same amount of time. So today, she took off her shoes and did what we need to remind all of our friends to do – got a mammogram. Go. Now. Do. It.

Eda and Ralph

BURLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA - I work with people every day who are planning fundraisers to benefit the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. I’m not exaggerating, you can check with my husband; I get calls on weekends about these things. I do so happily, for the record. I know that every dollar we raise will be another step to a cure. Back to the story!!! So the people I chat with typically do one event annually – things like luncheons, tennis tournaments, dinners, etc. Take a look at Eda and Ralph up there. They decided that one event just simply wouldn’t do. They planned a full week's worth of events, each one would knock the wind out of lesser mortals. They enlisted family and friends to be volunteers and have pulled off the biggest grouping of events the VB Foundation has ever seen (including the transformation of a hospital dining room into a 5-star restaurant). Eda and Ralph, I love you. I salute you. I thank you. Most of all, I envy your energy. You make me tired just lookin’ at you. :)