Other Services

Some Accomplishments of the Wabash Valley Breast Cancer Survivors, Inc.

We have made an awareness of the incidence of breast cancer in our community through television and newspaper coverage, through our pamphlets and programs that we put at various places, through health fairs and through our carnation sales.

We designed the pamphlets that we place the yearly programs in for display.

We have given women in the Valley a lot of excellent information and many coping strategies to help them deal with their diagnosis and treatments.

We worked at fairs, picnics, etc. to get many signatures on letters and petitions to take to Washington, DC to our congressmen about getting more money for research dollars for breast cancer.

Some of us worked at the state level to get a bill passed to make it mandatory for high school girls to learn how to do breast self exams in health class. The bill was passed.

We sold hundreds-actually thousands-of Just Peachey cookbooks with all the proceeds going to help for breast cancer research at the IU Medical Center.

Some of us have spoken to many groups and have been trained to educate women how to do breast self exams and about the importance of having mammograms. We have spoken at ISU, Rose Hulman, St. Mary's, Home Extension Clubs, church groups, clubs, etc.

We bought breast forms that we use for women to examine and to practice how to find suspicious lumps.

We bought a display board which we take to health fairs, to the First Financial Bank in September, and to the Fairbanks Library in October.

We bought booklets showing how to do the breast self exams to give to the women. We have been to many health fairs where we have taught many women about doing breast self exams the proper way.

Some of us have gone to Washington, DC several times since 1991 to the National Breast Cancer Coalition Conference where we learn about the latest research and therapies. We also attend the Lobby Day where we speak with our legislators on the Hill about the need for more research money and about the passage of bills that can help with the treatment of people with all cancers.

Coral worked with the Center for Disease Control and the Indiana State Dept. of Health to get the Indiana Breast and Cervical Early Detection Program started in Indiana to get uninsured and underserved women screened. When Vigo County was chosen to have a pilot program, our women handed out the information to several businesses that consented to hand it out to women.

Coral worked with the public library to get a booklet with the listings of books, films, and tapes they had available on the subject of breast cancer.

We were the instigators of getting pink wristbands for breast cancer patients at both local hospitals so the arm on the side of the surgery is not used for injections, for taking blood pressure, or for drawing blood. These can lead to lymphedema of the arm.

We had a pink flowering crab tree planted in Fairbanks Park in honor of and in memory of all women of the Wabash Valley who have had breast cancer.

We have participate in the Race for the Cure and in the Relay for Life. Some of our members do volunteer work for the Race for the Cure.

We worked with Tell a Friend at the American Cancer Society, with Reach to Recovery, and with the Love Lights a Tree at the shopping center during the Christmas season for several years.

We have painted a pink ribbon at Sixth and Wabash the week previous to the carnation sale and it remains there as a constant reminder.

We have the carnation sale each May on Friday before Mother's Day. The money is spent locally for needed items to keep our non-profit organization going and for mammograms for uninsured women in the Valley.

All of us volunteer our time. No one is paid.

We fixed free wig rooms at Hux, Hope, Providence, and Regional Cancer Centers. We procured the wigs, bought head forms for the wigs, the lamps, the wig brushes, etc. for these places, and our members go each month to keep the wigs brushed and attractive. We also have free turbans at these sites.

We pay for mammograms for women who do not have insurance or are underinsured.

We decorated a shelter at Deming Park for the Christmas in the Park and a local bank for many years as a way to help make women aware that our organization is available to help them and to win money to help local women.

We make soft, pink, heart-shaped pillows for women to place under their arm where they have a mastectomy, pink satin pillowcases for women when they lose their hair, pink soft seatbelt covers for the affected area, drainage bags for the tubes women must wear home after the surgery, and fix folders with much written material women need to know about breast cancer. These are handed out to the patients by the local surgeons and oncologists.

We are the recipient of donations from local groups, companies and institutions in our community who recognize our importance in our area.

We purchased one of the eight foot pink ribbons that are lighted and put at the top of the courthouse for the Breast Cancer Awareness month during October.

Last, but not least, I think we have made the physicians more aware of some of the problems women have with breast cancer.