Words

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - Words matter. I always listen – very, very carefully to every doctor and researcher I ever hear. There are a few key things I like to hear, but sometimes it’s not what they say out loud that matters. 

Recently, a group of us went to the IU Simon Cancer Center to hear from some docs that are in the world of cutting edge science. Just an update to see where the world is right now with cancer treatment and research, and all of the exciting things they are doing to help. It was amazing! There will be a great posting soon on verabradley.org, so please keep checking back to see that.

As I was leaving the lab tours, I saw the note above on a refrigerator. I took a photo and put it up right away on my personal facebook wall, just because it was so.wonderfully.inspirational. It boosted me, made me smile, made me want to hug them all. Then, when I got home and checked facebook that night, I learned that so many people felt the same. It was shared, reposted, commented upon, etc. All comments were the same basic message; "we LOVE to see this." 

Sometimes is just the little comments that give us the energy to keep going. To keep taking our medicines, to keep raising funds, to keep lending helping hands. We do it daily, and not because of the big, grandiose statements but because of the little true words that exist in the hearts of those we trust the most. Go, go cancer research!

October

NATIONWIDE - October is upon us. Well, just about anyway. For most of the month, this is what my view looks like at least once a day. I look out of a plane window to my next destination and wonder who I will meet, what stories I will hear and how my life will change because of these encounters. 

So this is the view from a plane traveling who knows where. Think of me when you look up into the sky – or better yet, please come find me at one of the events listed on our facebook page. I’d love to say hi to you in person!

Help

WORLDWIDE – I  was visiting a friend's breast cancer foundation facebook site yesterday; she has asked me to critique it from the rare perspective of both patient and professional. The review was great; I love what she is putting out there, how she’s saying it, and the number of people already interested in helping her cause. I was immediately drawn to the comments, most of which were from people desperate to help in any capacity.

"Please tell me what we can do to help," "please connect me with someone who needs a ride to treatment," "please let me know if someone needs my services for no cost," etc. I see people who are quite focused on their donations ("I only want mine to go to research, period." "I only want to help women who need money for travel expenses." Things like that.) and I also see quite the opposite. ("I don’t even know what to do or how to help, but my best friend was just diagnosed, and now I’m totally on fire for this cause.")

And I like all of these types of donors. Love, actually.

There are so many resources out there, and it seems to be overwhelming for most people when they want to dip their toes in the "giving pool." "Whom do I turn to if I just want to make sure patients get a ride to treatments?" "Whom should I send a check for wig donations?" I actually talked on the phone for an hour after my speaking engagement yesterday with a woman who had no idea where to turn for assistance, and that was followed that evening with someone who wanted to donate money for services. 

We are all out there, a big group of people who want to help. We are also out there, a big group of people in need of that help. Connecting the two seems to be an intricate dance! My suggestion is based solely on reputation. ONLY ONLY ONLY donate to a group that you know funnels the dollars where you want them to go. That includes products – don’t just shell out cash for a pink ribbon product unless the tag tells you what you need to know. Does it tell you where the money is going? If not, move on and  buy something else. Go to local cancer centers and hospitals – whether you are a patient or donor, they can give you a list of all local service providers that will dispense help and help you to dispense help on your own. 

Here’s the key, in my humble opinion. DO SOMETHING. JUST DO. Get out there and find your cause, your passion, a spot for your commitment. Nothing is too small, nothing will go unnoticed. Foundations, service providers, etc. don’t just need cash, you know. We need donations of things like hotel points, airline miles, rental car points, volunteer time, you name it! (Seriously, we do. Email me at hfloyd@verabradley.com if you want to donate anything listed (or something else) to the Foundation.)   

Jump on board and give us a hand, we fundraisers. Jump on board and give us a hand, we patients. Just jump. :)

Facebook

ENGLAND - Little Ted Rice had a rash near his eye. He is only 4 years old, so his dad was worried. He didn’t have a fever, so his dad didn’t want to rush him to the hospital. Instead, he reached out to a friend of his – on facebook. He sent a quick photo, a close up of Little Ted's face. That doctor actually made a diagnosis of acute lymphocyte leukemia – on facebook.

Now this is obviously a rare situation. Few people are blessed enough to be able to have friends who are brilliant doctors with incredible knowledge. Few people use facebook for anything more than a bragging site. This exception, however, might just well become the norm, and soon. I was recently asked to take photos and send them to my own surgeon, several hours away. Had it been the serious situation my doctor had originally imagined, I would have had to immediately get myself down there for more surgery. Within moments of sending the photo, it was discovered that it wasn’t serious and I could wait until the following week’s checkup to make the drive down.

We are in an electronic, world, my friends. Change is happening – on facebook. I have an idea! Why don’t you consider making a life-saving donation today – on facebook. :)

Photo courtesy of Cascade News.

Work

FORT WAYNE, INDIANA - Lynda recently started working for the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. It’s not just a job to her, I’ve learned. She has had several people in her family affected by breast cancer - this year alone! In some cases, that is how things happen. Work becomes more than just work when your heart gets involved. This morning, the New York Times posted an article about Dr. Marisa Weiss. Dr. Weiss is a 51-year-old oncologist who just happens to be the founder of breastcancer.org, an incredibly helpful website for those of us with a passion to find a cure. We’ve referred people to that website for quite some time now, and look forward to more of that via our various social media avenues (@followheidi on twitter; facebook; and this blog.

She has made the rare but meaningful transition from someone who really cared about this to someone who is now directly affected. Her passion now is to make sure that word is spread about getting mammograms. They aren’t perfect, she says, but they save lives. She says that her annual mammogram saved her life.

Huge kudos to the New York Times for putting out a breast cancer message outside the month of **gasp!!** October! And for reminding as many people as possible to take their health and their passion into their own hands. The sooner, the better.

Photo courtesy of the New York Times.

Much Ado About Color

This past week, ladies on facebook were asked to post just one word that would describe the color of their undergarments. This was ostensibly to raise awareness for breast cancer – but there wasn’t a call to action or anything, so people were just left wondering what it was about.It was also supposed to be a ‘secret’ from the men out there, but there are 65 million fb users, keeping a secret from half of them would be quite the feat indeed.There has been backlash, surprisingly. Some said that this was unladylike and offensive. Others were upset that there was no end objective, and therefore a pointless excursion. From my own perspective, here’s what I saw happen. “Breast Cancer” became a trending topic on twitter to explain what was happening on facebook. Komen’s fb page jumped tens of thousands of fans in mere days. People were adding to the one-word color dialog by saying things like ‘I lost mom to bcancer’ or ‘im a survivor!’. Our own Vera Bradley Foundation received many messages on twitter. Did the increased activity result in any donations? I don’t know, I don’t have the inside track to all foundations - but I can tell you this: Millions of people thought about breast cancer, even if for just a moment. Maybe some remembered, maybe some were moved, maybe some decided to participate somehow. Sure it was silly, a crazy fluke thing, not going to change any lives. But it was a fun thing to see so many people talking about this disease without looking at the calendar and seeing OCTOBER on it. :)

In her shoes

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - This is Catherine Hill. She works for the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. She is a mommy, a wife, a daughter, a sister. She has a dog named Smokey and a Buddha in her garden. She loves her husband, who writes her poetry and plays songs for her on the guitar. She assembles and directs one of the largest amateur women's golf and tennis tournaments every year in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This week, she will be wearing shoes for all of us when she helps to crew the Vera Bradley team in the Race Across America. She loves bikes, everyone, so this is a really big deal for her. What say you give her a little shout-out and say hi to her on facebook in the comment section - and while you are there, learn a bit more about the rest of the team. Go Catherine! The home team is rooting you on!!!

Upcoming Events

Look out for us as we make our way to your neighborhood. Please join us if you can!

Check back here and on our Facebook Page for up-to-date details.


MAY
5/26 Pink Chalet, Orlando, FL
5/27 Greg's Hallmark, Orlando, FL
5/28 Irene & Co., Pier Park, FL
5/29- Vera Bradley Classic, Fort Wayne, IN
5/31

JUNE
6/01 Vera Bradley Classic, Fort Wayne, IN
6/20 Skate for Hope, Columbus, OH

JULY
7/08 Basin Harbor, Vergennes, VT
For information call Jen at (802) 475-7830
7/09 General Trading Co., Plattsburgh, NY, 2pm - 6pm
For information call Susan at (518)566-7618

SEPTEMBER
9/11 Paisley on Main, Glen Ellyn, IL

OCTOBER
10/02 Tickled Pink, Fort Wayne, IN
10/06 Alspaugh's Sterling Events, Kingwood, TX
10/08 Frill Seekers, Miramar Beach, FL, and Irene & Co., Panama City Beach, FL
10/10 The Green Boutique, Valrico, Fl
10/17 Paper Scene Walk, Seekonk, MA
10/31 Park Home Medical, Goshen, IN

NOVEMBER
11/14 Symmetry Medical/Wildman Group, Warsaw, IN