As you may know, one struggle many women face is having to deal with breast cancer. One of the more common cancers, especially for women, breast cancer occurs in about one out of every eight women. This is a shocking and disheartening statistic, especially when considering all the research done around breast cancer treatment and prevention. Breast cancer and cancer, in general, are complicated illnesses that even doctors may not fully understand.
The Bridge Breast Network is a nonprofit organization in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Founded in 1992, it was created by a group of people who had survived breast cancer. Sally Knox, a doctor, was the first contributor to the group. It is said she would often donate her time and resources to help these sick women in need. However, Doctor Knox couldn’t donate all the things they needed by herself. To be more effective, a group of women banded together to earn donations and create what we now know as the Bridge Breast Network. The network’s primary goal is to help those with breast cancer while protecting their confidentiality, time, and, most importantly, their lives. Like other charities, the organization earns money through individual donations from citizens or large lump sum donations by corporate groups or companies. Many contributions aren’t direct, though. Bridge Breast Network says that for every dollar donated, they multiply it by ten, and that is what goes to the women seeking medical care.
The Bridge Breast Network doesn’t only treat those with insurance. The charity is dedicated to helping women who don’t have access to the treatment they need, whether they have no insurance or too little insurance. Over just the past ten years, the charity has helped more than 150,000 women struggling with breast cancer and given more than 19,000 women access to treatment. The network offers a wide variety of services, including mammograms, biopsies, surgery, chemotherapy, wigs, prosthetic breasts, support groups, and other community support systems. They also provide a diagnosis to people who may be unsure if they have breast cancer or not. “The Bridge Breast Network saves lives by providing access to diagnostic and treatment services for breast cancer to low income, uninsured, and underinsured individuals.”
Bridge Breast has a couple of different options for helping out. These include volunteering, giving supplies, or donating money. If you donate money, you have the option to make a one-time payment or a recurring payment. You can also donate a special ‘In Honor Of’ or ‘In Memory Of’ gift if you know someone or have lost someone close to breast cancer. You don’t have to donate money or your time, though. Gifts are also a welcome donation. Things needed include supplies like gloves and sanitizer, things for patients such as snacks or books, and they even have an Amazon wish list.