Susan G. Komen Guide 2010

WE>ME BEATING BREAST CANCER 2010 A GUIDE TO PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

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WE>ME 2 beating breast cancer 2010 Breast Cancer team ad-race AT.indd 1

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er mother Helen Easley died from breast cancer in 1998, but instead of giving up, Easley turned her grief into action, first as a volunteer and then this year, as Susan G. Komen for the Cure Arkansas Affiliate’s Race for the Cure Chairperson.

“At the time of my mother’s death, I worked at Southwestern Bell, or AT&T, depending on the year,” Easley says.

While she was on a company race team, the company president’s personal assistant asked if she was interested in putting together a Rally for the Cure, a golf tournament in Hot Springs. She was.

“We have such a great race and I wanted to see what was going on behind the scenes,” she says.

So Easley joined the legions of volunteers it takes to put on the race and worked on Tinkled Pink, a port-o-potty decorating event.

Then as last year’s race co-chair, Easley says she realized the nonprofit organization was like one big, well-oiled machine, with lots of phenomenal volunteers, a great board, dedicated staff and generous sponsors. The city’s support helps as well.

She says she’s amazed at the large number of people it takes to put on the event, but instead of training new people each year, Easley says, “Our volunteers return because they have fun and believe

in Komen.”

Susan G. Komen for the Cure Arkansas Affiliate executive director Sherrye McBryde believes Easley has been a real asset to the nonprofit organization.

“Donna first came to our attention as the team captain for AT&T. This job involves rallying employees to join the team. Donna did that so successfully for five years. In 2003, Donna was named our Team Captain of the year,” she says.

However, her contributions didn’t stop there and she worked tirelessly for the cure.

“The achievements that Donna has made for our organization are phenomenal….She does it with a wit and grace and sense of humor that makes it a true pleasure to work with her. You feel her dynamic energy and understand why others want to follow her lead,” McBryde says.

Easley describes herself as someone who prefers to work in the background. When asked about chairing this year’s race, she initially said no. Then, however, she changed her mind.

“I decided to do it because I’m passionate about the organization, and besides, it’s a great way to honor my mom,” she says.

As part of her responsibility, Easley was asked to come up with this year’s theme.

She sat down with people from Thoma Thoma, a

> Komen-Arkansas turns 18

(Left) Donna Easley and River

> Go running for the cure!

By Sherrye McBryde

Executive Director Arkansas Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Promoting public education and awareness

The Arkansas Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® was incorporated in 1992, and since its founding, the Arkansas Affiliate has held 16 Race for the Cure® events. It began in 1994 with 1,200 participants and grew to more than 45,000 last year, with women, men and children coming from around the state. Since the first race, about 455,000 people have participated.

This race has significantly raised the awareness of breast cancer health around the state of Arkansas, and statistics prove that the number of women diagnosed with early stage breast cancers has significantly increased while the numbers of later stage cancers has decreased.

The Arkansas Affiliate was a powerful voice in the passage of the Breast Cancer Act of 1997.

Providing services to those in need

The Arkansas Affiliate has provided $9,774,000 to fund grants and educational programs in Arkansas. In fact, 75 percent of the money raised locally stays in Arkansas. Grants at the affiliate level are used for education, screening and treatment.

The Komen Foundation has a focused approach when it comes to spending their grant monies, and they work to identify and fund gaps in breast health. The latest information shows a need for access to mammograms and for more breast care education in 20 of the 63 Arkansas counties that make up the Arkansas Affiliate’s service area.

Further research

In addition to grants, 25 percent of all the money raised by the Arkansas Affiliate is forwarded to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® for breast cancer research.

Not one dollar of the money sent to the national office is spent on overhead; instead, it is used to provide research grants. The local affiliate has contributed $3,200,000 to the more than $1 billion used to fund research grants funded by the National Komen office. This money is focused on finding a cure for breast cancer. 

M

argaret “Tully” Taylor loved life. “I learned so much from her,” says her son Gary Taylor.

So when Taylor, owner of Go! Running at 1819 N. Grant St., says he has personal reasons for getting involved in the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Arkansas Affiliate’s Race for the Cure, he’s not kidding.

After a six-year battle with breast cancer, Tully died in 1993 at the age of 61. Taylor was 30. Her death was devastating for him.

Although an avid runner—which would be reason enough to get involved—Taylor says, “More than handing over a check, I wanted to do something.”His “something” is sponsoring the Race for the Cure’s corral, where the competitive runners will gather before the race’s early morning start.

Easy does it for the cure

While Taylor will be busy keeping the elite runners corralled, Easy Runner’s owner Gary Smith will be helping out at the starting line and is sponsoring the starting line’s banner.

The Race for the Cure holds a special meaning for him too. He was good friends with two of the women, Pat Torvestad and Pat McClelland, who were instrumental in getting the Race for the Cure started in Little Rock.

“They were an excellent two to get it started,” he says.

Smith, who recently moved Easy Runner to 11525 Cantrell Rd., also trained for marathons with Torvestad.

“We had a wonderful time,” he says about their training runs.

More than supporting his friends’ causes, Smith says, “I’ve seen a lot of races, and this is fun. You get caught up in the moment and leave with a good feeling.” 

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“I’m a simple person, so I wanted a simple message,” she says.

She believes a breast cancer diagnosis has “a multi-generational impact and touches every member of the family, including kids, mothers, husbands, grandmothers, daughters, sons, great grandmothers and even pets.”

So “WE > ME,” or “We is greater than me,” was designated as this year’s theme.

To Easley those words hold a special meaning.

“Everyone going through the trials of breast cancer doesn’t go it alone,” she says. 

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WE ME > H

For Donna Easley, it’s personal

beating breast cancer 2010 3

> From research to outreach

Whether it’s groundbreaking studies, emotional support or post-mastectomy services, the Arkansas community is rallying around residents battling breast cancer. including Gibson.

Breast cancer is more common in postmenopausal women, so most support groups don’t have many young women participating.

While they face different issues such as dealing with kids while undergoing treatment, fertility and sexual problems, younger women need support too, Garner says.

For more information on the LIFE group or other New Outlook programs, call 552-3433.

UAMS research update

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute surgeon and Breast Cancer Program director V. Suzanne Klimberg, M.D., recently published the “Atlas of Breast Surgical Techniques.”

The book includes many of the groundbreaking procedures developed by Klimberg and is written for surgeons and residents.

“I have heard many residents say how easy they think breast surgery is. Yet even in these modern times, as many as 40 percent of patients require a second surgery to remove additional malignant tissue,” says Klimberg, who also holds the Muriel Balsam Kohn Chair in Breast Surgical Oncology.

Also, Klimberg recently developed a new procedure to prevent lymphedema, a swelling of the arms due to faulty drainage of the lymph nodes, one of the most common side effects of breast cancer treatment.

On the horizon

UAMS’s Dr. Thomas Kieber-Emmons, professor of pathology, is preparing to begin the phase one testing of a breast cancer vaccine. Keiber-Emmons and Dr. Laura Hutchins, UAMS Division of Hematogoy and Oncology director, will work jointly on a clinical trial.

St. Vincent offers a new outlook

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For 33-year-old Crystal Gibson, a breast cancer diagnosis was hard, but on the bright side, she says, “It delayed my husband’s deployment (to the Middle East).”

St. Vincent Health System’s New Outlook, a breast cancer recovery program under the direction of Alesa Garner, was helping Gibson with wigs, information and support.

“I’m a 12-year breast cancer survivor, and that makes it easier for them to relax and relate to me,” Garner says.

Recently she added a new program called Mindfully Healing from Cancer. It uses yoga techniques to reduce stress through breathing.

So far, the class is proving a popular addition to other services the department provides breast cancer survivors.

New Outlook also offers a support group specifically for women under the age of 40 who have been diagnosed with breast cancer called LIFE— Living Fully Everyday. Garner started it about two years ago, with a core membership of 20 women,

4 beating breast cancer 2010

aptist’s B nurse navigator

Breast Health Breast Center nurse navigator Laurie Loyd, RN, looks forward to going to work each morning.

“I love what I do,” she says about her job at Baptist Medical Center, a job that requires her to go on a journey with each patient assigned to her care.

Shannon Hyslip, with the hospital’s public relations department, says the nurse navigator develops a plan for the care of the patient and works with different areas of the hospital to ensure patients receive “the right care at the right time.”

“It’s an excellent program, and there are several parts to the nurse navigator’s job. We follow women from the time of diagnosis through treatment,” she says. Loyd’s job requires her to keep the patient informed about the process, treatment and the variety of resources available in the community. It’s not unusual for that relationship to last a year or longer.

“Once a patient hears the words breast cancer, they don’t understand anything that follows. I break it down for them,” Loyd says. “I’m a cheerleader for the patient.”

Since 2006, she has worked with about 600 patients, helping each find the perfect “free” wig, soft cotton bras and forms, “so they can get out and feel normal,” she says.

Loyd also explains radiation and chemotherapy, as well as the changes patients are likely to experience.

“A patient may lose their breasts and hair, experience dry skin and weight gain, all in a short period of time. I try to help them deal with the changes,” she says.

She also directs her charges to resources like Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the American Cancer Society.

“With their support, women can cope better,” Loyd says.

For more information on Breast Health Breast Center, call (501) 202-2000 or go to www.baptisthealth.com.

Looking your best

Snell Prosthetic & Orthotic Laboratory has been helping people—including women recovering from breast cancer surgery—in Little Rock for 99 years. Their offices are staffed by certified medical personnel and provide a full line of prosthetic, orthotic, pedorthic and post-mastectomy services.

Today, there are even more options for women, from partial forms to lightweight or weighted forms

to bras, camisoles, sports, swim and enhancer forms.

There’s even a camisole with little pouches to hide drain tubes.

Fitting is done in their office and proper fitting ensures a high-quality product especially designed to fit the individual.

“Now there are more beautiful products, such as seam-free and molded cups, and what a woman chooses depends on what’s most comfortable and fits her best,” says Snell spokeswoman Beth Williams.

When looking for reliable products, Williams suggests calling and talking with a trained professional. They can help with the product fit they need or want—whether they get them at Snell or not—and are glad to help locate resources. For instance, Williams says, any resident of Arkansas is eligible for a Komen grant, which will help cover the cost of breast cancer related products.

Snell has nine locations throughout Arkansas.

For more information about Snell’s services, go to www.snellpando.com.

Feeling your best

Dr. Linda Bortell, pharmacist and owner of the Green Earth Pharmacy in downtown Little Rock, says she and her staff are happy to help anyone dealing with breast cancer.

Besides delivering medications—it’s free in the River Market District—Bortell says her pharmacy can do custom medications per the doctor’s orders, as well as mix-up a custom batch of Dr. Lawrence Mendelsohn’s locally popular mouthwash.

“We can add fun flavorings like tootie fruity, piña colada, chocolate and my favorite vanilla butternut,” she says.

The flavors add a pleasant taste, and the mouthwash is great for mouth ulcers that often arise after chemo or radiation treatment.

“We also offer herbal supplements that help counteract the effects of chemo or radiation and the resulting nausea,” she says.

For those needing a bit of support, the pharmacy carries nursing bras such as Majamas Easy Bra and Under the Nile that make life easier for women after surgery. Also, she says, “We have bras that snap open in front for easy bandage changes.”

For more information about Green Earth Pharmacy services, call (501) 246-3296 or go to http:// www.greenearthpharmacy.com.

CARELink’s hot meals and help

“If you need help, please call us,” CARELink spokeswoman Jeanie Frauenthal says.

Folks 60 and older can take advantage of their Meals on Wheels program, which delivers hot nutritious lunches to a participant’s home, Monday through Friday.

They also offer Home Care and Family Caregiver Support programs. The Home Care program is designed for people 60 and older, and includes services such as bathing, housekeeping and help with medications. The Family Caregiver Support program also allows younger people to apply if they are caring for a person 60 or older.

“If you think you qualify, we’ll be happy to help,” says Frauenthal.

CareLink is a private nonprofit organization that serves Faulkner, Lonoke, Monroe, Prairie, Pulaski and Saline counties in central Arkansas. For those outside this area, Frauenthal says call, and they will help locate an appropriate CARELink office.

If you or a family member needs help, call (501) 3725300 or 1-800-482-6359 or go to www.care-link.org. 

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beating breast cancer 2010 5

> The many faces of breast cancer F

rom a 98-year-old woman to a 13-year old girl, everyone facing breast cancer has a “we,” a support system that helps them come out whole and healthy on the other side of their breast cancer diagnosis.

A good support system is so vital to beating breast cancer that Susan G. Komen for the Cure recommends surrounding yourself with family, friends and others as you go through diagnosis, treatment and recovery. This year’s Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Arkansas Affiliate’s chairperson Donna Easley believes the power of family and friends is so important to recovery that her message is “WE > ME.” In other words, we are stronger as a group.

“Breast cancer isn’t something you should go through alone,” Easley says.

The following are “We is greater than me” stories.

(Left to right) Ashlee Stephens, Coco Dorsey, Taylor Thompson and Donna Easley

Taylor Thompson

Taylor Thompson entered Little Rock Central High School this year as a healthy, happy ninth grader, but when she left seventh grade for summer vacation, it was a very different picture.

Only 13 at the time, Taylor says, “I felt it.” There was a quarter-sized lump in her breast. She wasn’t afraid, but decided she needed to tell her mom Stephanie Anderson. Her mother in turn called her own mother Sheila Blackmon.

“I was nervous, upset and worried about the lump. It was unbelievable because she was only 13,” Blackmon says. They immediately called their doctor who scheduled an appointment for the next day.

Taylor knew they were worried but says, “I really didn’t know what it meant so I wasn’t scared.”

A biopsy was done. Within about 10 days they were told it was a rare form of breast cancer and the lump was removed. Blackmon—who walks in the Komen Race for the Cure each year—says, “the race took on a more personal meaning. It really hit home.”

Fortunately, Taylor says, “I didn’t have to do chemo.”

But she spent more time in bed last summer than she wanted. She remembers she didn’t want to tell others about her breast cancer, “but they heard about it anyway,” including her best friend who decided she needed to check her breasts, too.

Now Taylor doesn’t hesitate when giving this advice, “No matter your age, if you feel a lump, tell someone.” Taylor Thompson is breast cancer free, and both she and her grandmother plan to walk in this year’s Race for the Cure.

Caroline Cossey

Caroline Cossey, owner of Pinky Punky in Little Rock, was on vacation in Providence, Rhode Island when she found an odd wrinkle in her right breast.

Luckily, she had just finished reading an article about

breast cancer, which advised readers to get anything unusual checked out immediately. “My doctor said he couldn’t tell me anything by looking, and that he needed to do a biopsy,” she says.

It was four years ago when Cossey heard the words, “You have invasive duct cell carcinoma.” In October 2006, the lump in her breast was removed, followed by the removal of the lymph nodes under her right arm the following month.

Surprisingly, she says, “I wasn’t that scared and was more worried about my mother—her health was failing.

I’m a realist and didn’t have time for a pity-party.”

Of those who helped her through, Cossey says, “my aunt (Lou New) and her church (First Baptist Church), my girlfriends and my employees were wonderful.” There was always someone to take her to a doctor’s appointment or to spend the night after a rough chemotherapy treatment.

There were many nights when Cossey couldn’t sleep so friends would come over and watch old movies.

In the middle of her treatment, Cossey’s mom Nell Cossey passed away.

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And although she misses her mother very much, the loss didn’t break her spirit or affect her desire to get well. She worked when she could and came to appreciate the “great big network of breast cancer survivors who are willing to help.”

It was a life-changing event for Cossey.

“Each day is to be cherished because you never know when it will be your last,” she says.

Caroline Cossey is now cancer free.

ty i l i b i x e l F . e c i v r e S . e u l yle.xibility. Va t i l a u Q F . e c Servi Coco Dorsey

As devastating as the news was, Coco Dorsey of Little Rock says she didn’t fall apart when she heard the words “breast cancer.”

Instead, she remembers telling her gynecologist, William Harrison, M.D., “Tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll give it 110 percent.”

At the time Dorsey was 33 years old and had three young children at home who still needed her.

“I rallied the troops, and we went into battle mode,” she says.

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Because of her lead, her husband Keith was able to handle the news well enough, but her parents were devastated.

Dorsey lives in the Heights and is vice president of H. F. Scruggs, a family bakery supply business.

“I have an amazing family network, and we all kind of did it together,” she says.

“I could concentrate on the battle.”

She was also fortunate because Blake McGowan, her family doctor and good friend, was able to get Dorsey in to see Harrison the same day as her initial breast exam. Harrison, in turn, was able to schedule her for surgery within 10 days.

“Once the ball started rolling, it didn’t stop,” she says.

Now she has advice for others facing breast cancer.

“Go into survivor mode, be a part of your treatment … focus on healing and your health. You can’t let it defeat you. You can’t just lie down and die,” Dorsey says.

Coco Dorsey has been cancer free for three years.

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Ashlee Stephens

From day one, Ashlee Stephens of North Little Rock knew she was going to beat breast cancer.

“I didn’t cry. I wanted to know what I had to do to survive and to see my girls grow up … I wanted to be there,” says Stephens, who at the time had three young daughters at home, one just weaned from breast-feeding.

While Ashlee struggled through a double mastectomy and chemotherapy, her family, including her husband Gabe and their parents, rallied around her for support.

“I can’t imagine going through this myself. Being with my family really got me through it, and they kept me positive,” she says.

Even while undergoing chemotherapy, Stephens didn’t miss a day of picking her kids up from school or busing them to after-school activities. In other words, she did her job as mom, and she says, “It gave me focus.”

This kept her from dwelling on the breast cancer. “ “I tried to stay positive,” she says. “For me, it was the only way I was going to get through it.”

While that was more than two years ago, Ashlee says now she would do things a little differently.

“My doctor didn’t think it was cancer and said, ‘Let’s watch it,’” so they waited two months before the cancer diagnosis was made.

Now Stephens isn’t so shy when dealing with the medical community and recommends asking questions and getting a second opinion if necessary.

“You have one chance to beat this disease … After all, this is your life,” she says.

Ashlee Stephens is cancer free.

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Alice Goodfellow of Fairfield, Conn. was 84 years old when the bleeding from her left breast was diagnosed as breast cancer.

“I was astonished,” Goodfellow says 14 years later.

After the surgery, she says she went around in a daze. “I was scared but then accepted the fact that it had to be done.”

Like so many other stories with happy endings, Goodfellow’s four children, including her son Curtis Goodfellow of Little Rock and other family members gathered around her, offering her comfort and support.

While family and friends are important, Goodfellow believes Little Rock’s Race for the Cure gives women strength and a rallying point. In fact, she is a twotime participant and plans to make the race again this year.

“It was thrilling,” Goodfellow says about her first race, which came about at the prompting of her daughter-in-law Diane Goodfellow of Little Rock.

Goodfellow and her daughter Carol Calise traveled to Little Rock for the race, and while she normally gets around with a little help from a cane, Goodfellow agreed to do the race in a wheelchair.

Then in 2009, she was joined again by her daughter and two great granddaughters. Her daughter-in-law’s daughter and granddaughter also walked in the race.

“We all walked together, and we were thrilled to see all the men standing alongside the road, with all their pink hair and signs. It was wonderful,” she says.

Goodfellow and her family plan to march again this year.

“It’s a wonderful experience … to see all the women and their enthusiasm,” she says. “And best of all, It’s fun.”

Alice Goodfellow has been cancer free for 14 years.

If you need support or answers, call 1-877 GO KOMEN (1-877-4656636). The Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s Breastcare Helpline provides free, professional support services to anyone with breast health or breast cancer questions. 

Department of Human Services Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education 700 Main Street, P.O. Box 1437 Little Rock, AR 72203-1437 Phone: 501-682-9699/501-682-4891 http://www.arkansas.gov/childcare

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Alice Goodfellow

beating breast cancer 2010 7

> Local blogger keeping the faith W

hile the stories for this publication were being written, Stacy Sells, a media and political powerhouse, was battling inflammatory breast cancer. Instead of hiding behind her disease, her fight is chronicled on a blog Sells calls Never Lose Spirit.

Originally, the musings on Stacy’s daily blog were a way to keep her family and friends updated on her progress. But as the days, weeks and months rolled by, and she wrote about her surgery, super docs, McDreamy, hair loss and hats, it’s clear her blog became much more than a personal journey.

She is giving voice, a bit of a smile and hope to the thousands of women who each year hear, “you have breast cancer.”

One of her more touching posts goes like this: If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you will remember my two college girlfriends, Sue and Dian, who sent me pink boxing gloves for my breast cancer fight. A few weeks ago, Dian was diagnosed with breast cancer and yesterday she began her own chemotherapy treatment. Would you please say a prayer for Dian, and the thousands of other women who are beginning their own breast cancer journey at this time?

Near the end of August, while Stacy was recovering from her first reconstructive surgery, Rebecca Tennille posted a blog entry to report that it went well. She wrote: Her spirits are high, no surprises there. But the next few days might be a little less than rosy. So send good thoughts her way.

This isn’t the first time Stacy took a stand against breast cancer. In 1997, she stood together with then State Sen. Jay Bradford and State Rep. Jocetta Wilkins, who were instrumental in the passage of Breast Cancer Act 434 of 1997. This act established one of the nation’s

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premier breast care programs for women whose income is 200 percent of the poverty level or below.

Whether you’re battling breast cancer, a supporter

or just looking for an interesting and informative read, Stacy’s blog can be found at http://nevelosespirit. blogspot.com..And Stacy, we wish you well. 

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> The advantages of unDerneAth early treatment T

he early detection of breast cancer saves money. When breast cancer is diagnosed at an early and localized stage, it means lower treatment costs.

According to a 2003 study, it costs $21,320 to treat women diagnosed with Stage 1 cancer. For those with Stage 4 cancer, that figure jumps to $52,288. Using these numbers, the additional cost of treating 100 women diagnosed at Stage 4 instead of Stage 1 is nearly $3.1 million.

However, saving money isn’t the most important part of the story.

With early detection, the five-year survival rate greatly increases. In fact, when breast cancer is found early and confined to the breast, the five-year survival rate is now 98 percent, according to the American Cancer Society. That is why it is so important to take steps to detect breast cancer in its earliest stages.

For all women diagnosed with breast cancer, the five-year survival rate is now 89 percent.

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Testing for breast cancer

As part of a regional promotion to catch breast cancer early, Myriad Genetic & Laboratories is encouraging high-risk individuals in nine southern states, including Arkansas, to get tested. In September, the company kicked off a public awareness campaign designed to educate women and the medical community about hereditary breast and ovarian cancers.

The biopharmaceutical drug company tests for the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene and says “people with a BRCA mutation are up to 12 times more likely than the general population to develop breast cancer by age 70 and over 20 times more likely to develop ovarian cancer,” says company senior vice president David Bashaw.

Test results can help an individual make more informed healthcare decisions. For example, if a woman who knows she carries a BRCA mutation, she can start cancer screening at an earlier age. She can also choose options like risk-reducing medications and preventive surgery. For women who have already had breast cancer, the test can aid in preventing a second occurrence, he says.

“Patients who are at high risk of hereditary cancer have the opportunity to learn valuable information about the steps they can take to reduce their risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer,” says Mark Capone, president of Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc. “We have expanded the campaign to the southern regions of the U.S. to ensure that we are reaching patients who are at the highest risk of hereditary cancers, yet are unaware of genetic testing.”

According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 192,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and of those, about five to 10 percent have a breast cancer that is inherited.

The company is offering free testing for women at 200% of the poverty level.

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Kids for the Cure > There is hope. W

hile kids and their parents have been able to participate in the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Arkansas Affiliate’s 2K Family Walk, this year, for the first time, kids 12 and under will have a race of their own. The Kids for the Cure 1K will be held on the Arkansas State Capitol grounds Sunday, Oct. 3, from 2 to 4 p.m., and is sponsored by KATV Channel 7 and Burger King.

The first 1,500 kids who register for the race will be sporting a Kids for the Cure T-shirt with kid-inspired art on the front. This year’s winning T-shirt design was created by Owen Silzer, an Anthony School preschool student who won the 2010 Susan G. Komen Little Rock Kids Race Shirt Competition.

The race and the art competition are Race for the Cure favorites of nine-year breast cancer survivor and past Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure chairwoman Ellen Kreth. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, it affected her entire family, including her young children.

“It’s important to include them,” she says.

Kids for the Cure chairwoman Reba Cauley says, “Kids feel special when asked to get involved, especially those affected by a diagnosis.”

It was through Kreth’s daughter, who stayed at the same daycare as Cauley’s son, that Cauley became a Race for the Cure volunteer.

“For me, it’s personal,” she says.

Cauley’s close friend’s sister died from breast cancer a few years ago.

“We hope to get kids involved in several areas,” Cauley says.

In addition to running, there’s fundraising. For instance, she tells the story of one girl who made pink ribbons and sold them at her mother’s work for a dollar.

She donated the money she raised to the cause.

For more information about Kids for the Cure 1K, go to http://www. komenarkansas.org.

Kids with a cause

As part of the larger Komen Arkansas Race for the Cure, the Kids for the Cure program is working to educate children and teens about good breast health.

“We hope it is something they will remember for a lifetime,” says Sherrye McBryde, executive director of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Arkansas Affiliate. 

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10 beating breast cancer 2010

> The work goes on K

omen is looking for friendly fundraisers. This year, Susan G. Komen for the Cure Arkansas Affiliate is making it easier, and more fun, for their supporters to raise money online.

In addition to the Text For the Cure program, this year’s fundraisers can personalize their own web page.

For Komen fundraisers, FOX16 news anchor Donna Terrell put together a three-minute video explaining what steps to take when setting up a page. Once online, a person’s page can be automatically sent to their friends or linked to their Facebook page.

“We’ve made it really easy,” says the program’s development director Amy Treadway.

This year’s top fundraisers are eligible for prizes from Dillard’s or Hank’s Fine Furniture or a travel package.

Each person who raises $150 is awarded a T-shirt. There are other prize divisions as well, she says.

This year’s fundraising goal is to reach $500,000—about 75 percent of which is spent in 61 of Arkansas’s counties.

More money allows the nonprofit to fund additional programs.

“We will be able to fund more grants to help the women and men in Arkansas who are uninsured or underinsured, all while spreading awareness about the importance of breast health,” Treadway says.

Last year, Komen for the Cure Arkansas Affiliate gave money to 17 programs around the state.

To donate, go to www.komenarkansas.org/make-adonation/donate-online.

After the race

Sure, the race is important and lots of fun, but the real work starts the next day.

“Komen is a year-round effort, and soon after the race, a grant review panel begins evaluating grant requests,” Treadway says.

The panel completes a “needs assessment” every three years to determine exactly what is needed and where, and the grants are awarded and distributed based on that study.

“The funds are given out in April, and each grantee works with a mentor from Komen to assist with making sure they’re on track,” Treadway says.

For information about current Susan G. Komen for the Cure Arkansas Affiliate grant recipients, go to http://www. komenarkansas.org/grants/current-grant-recipients. 

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> A salute to our women warriors B

ecause of its employees’ long association with Susan G. Komen for the Cure Arkansas Affiliate’s Race for the Cure and other events, AT&T had no choice but to agree to co-chair this year’s Three Miles of Men. It’s a responsibility Ed “Eddy” Drilling happily accepted.

“I’m proud of our employees, they have made a difference,” he says.

About 400 employees, their families and friends have walked under the AT&T (sometimes Southwestern Bell) banner since the race first started. Some of them walked because they were supporters, and a few walked because they had survived breast cancer.

“It’s gratifying to see them in the race, and I feel strongly and passionately about this cause,” Drilling says.

But long before serving as co-chair with the former legendary Arkansas Razorback receiver Anthony Lucas, Drilling encouraged his male employees to support the race participants. Also known as 3MOM, Three Miles of Men got its start outside AT&T’s downtown headquarters.

“A few employees would go out and cheer the women on. It grew, and eventually it started taking on a festive atmosphere,” he says.

They added music, passed out thousands of beads and their party became a kind of “man-thing.”

It was great to help in our own way, Drilling says.

Supporting three miles of men dressed in pink wasn’t enough, however, and Drilling and his team have since sponsored walking teams. His personal assistant Judy Phillips organized a number of golf tournaments at an exclusive golf course at the Diamante Country Club in Hot Springs, there’s an annual pasta party at Dickey-Stephens Park and a wine dinner at Ashley’s Restaurant.

Retired employee Donna Easley—this year’s Komen Race for the Cure Chairperson—was a big influence on Drilling.

“She’s a big cheerleader [for Komen], and we all think a lot of her,” says Phillips.

Drilling agrees.

“She’s very dear to us, and she has worked tirelessly on a number of events over the years.

She deserves a lot of credit for getting our employees involved,” he says.

However, the reason for getting involved hits a little closer to home this year for Drilling.

Never Lose Spirit blogger and political activist Stacy Sells, who helped with the passage of Arkansas’s Breast Cancer Act 434 of 1997, is currently battling breast cancer.

“Stacy worked here for a while and is this year’s wine dinner honoree. We wish her all the best,” Drilling says.

Sidelined in pink While most think of the Race for the Cure as a girly thing, Arkansas men are forgoing Razorback red for one weekend in October and sporting pink.

It’s an opportunity for husbands, sons, brothers, fathers and friends to cheer for the women

in their lives—many of whom are breast cancer survivors— and let them know they don’t walk alone.

These men have turned the event into a real “guy” celebration, complete with beer, pizza, tailgate parties, their own T-shirts and more.

The guys are kicking things off again with a tailgate party at Diamond Bear Brewery Company with plenty of beer, root beer, pizza, prizes and music, says Russ Melton, the brewery’s president and founder.

Melton was asked to donate a few bottles of beer four years ago, but wanted to do more. His wife Sue Melton heads up the Diamond Bear’s Honey Bears team and they believe the Race for the Cure is an important cause.

“The Little Rock race is a real phenomenon,” he says.

So instead of a donation, Melton says, “We asked them to come down and look at our place.”

He was willing to shut down the brewery for the day and provide a big space for a tailgate party.

“It’s for a very good cause,” he says.

For more information about Three Miles of Men or the Tailgate party, contact Matt Propst at mjpropst@ pinnaclebsi.com or go to http://www.komenarkansas.org or at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Komen-for-the-CureArkansas-3-MIles-of-Men/103721563041.

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or the last 17 years, Little Rock residents have embraced the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Arkansas Affiliate’s annual activities, including its big Race for the Cure finale held downtown each October.

Now Komen is asking folks to text—not while driving of course—for their cause. This year people can show their support through their new Text for a Cure program, says Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Arkansas board member Errin Dean.

Best of all, making a donation is easy and quick.

“AT&T and Verizon are allowing customers to make a $10 gift through Text for a Cure. All you have to do is type “KOMEN” then send it to 20222.

You can give a $10 gift up to three times, with the donation appearing on your telephone bill,” says Susan G. Komen for the Cure Arkansas Affiliate’s 2010 chairperson Donna Easley.

“People believe in the cure … and it continues to grow,” she says.

As important as rallying around breast cancer survivors and their supporters is, Easley says, “People believe in Komen because they are good stewards of our money.”

A recent Harris Interactive Poll placed Susan G. Komen for the Cure as “the number one most valuable non-profit brand and the charity people are most likely to donate to.”

In that same poll, Komen ranked second as “the most trusted non-profit organizations in America.”

According to the Susan G. Komen Arkansas Website, the nonprofit has spent more than $1 billion battling breast cancer since 1982. About 75 percent of the money raised in Arkansas each year stays in the state, and is used to fund breast health education and screening programs, as well as treatment for underprivileged women. 

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beating breast cancer 2010 13

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alk about fans—as of August’s end, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure’s Arkansas Facebook page had 11,327.

“It’s great, and it’s been growing by about 100 fans a week,” says Angela Parker, the Facebook page’s volunteer administrator. The page, which came online about 16 months ago, was originally designed by Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods to give breast cancer survivors, as well as those struggling with it, a place of their own.

“It was started as a means of communicating with survivors and supporters of the race, but it has grown into so much more than that,” she says.

It has become a way for them to communicate with each other, ask questions, get advice and just be there for each other.

“It’s working well. In fact, it’s taken on a life of its own,” Parker says.

People are really connecting, and Parker can hardly keep from choking up when telling the story of soldier Dewey Carlton, who was stationed in Iraq but signed onto the Komen Facebook page in support of his mother last year.

She is a breast cancer survivor who participates in Race for the Cure. Carlton was made an honorary Three Miles of Men member, and Parker says, “It was wonderful to see the messages of support that went to him from Facebook fans.

It was a way for him to join in without being here. His story is a great example of the power of social media.”

In the future, Parker would like to see more survivor and supporter interaction, but believes the Komen page is already making a difference in women’s lives.

“It has been moving to watch when a survivor writes in needing help and to see other survivors circle the wagons in support,” she says.

It wasn’t long ago that a young woman, who was recently diagnosed, wrote on the Komen wall about her difficulty dealing with treatments while trying to meet the needs of her children at the same time.

“It seemed that within minutes, messages of support and offers of help from people who knew her were being posted by those who had been in a similar situation,” Parker says.

For more information or to become a Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure’s Arkansas Facebook fan, go to http://www.facebook.com/ komenarkansas. 

> Breast exams on the go

I

t’s hard not to notice Kimberly Enoch’s enthusiasm. From the moment she starts talking about the UAMS MammoVan, she sits a little straighter and her voice becomes animated.

Ever since the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences first started offering off-campus mammograms about seven years ago, Enoch has been involved. She is now the MammoVan’s program manager.

“I started working with Dr. Ronda Henry-Tillmad in 2002,” she says.

That was when Henry-Tillmad, M.D., Fellow American College of Sugeons, director for Cancer Control at the UAMS Cancer Institute, first received funding for a mobile mammogram program, says Enoch, MPH, CHES. From 2003 until 2007, they did about 2,400 mammograms, so in a way, the new MammoVan is an extension of that program, Enoch says.

The three-room MammoVan’s new digital imaging machine means women can get a mammogram done in about a minute instead of 15 minutes or longer.

Faster mammograms means UAMS can serve more women. So instead of an all-day commitment, women who work can get a mammogram on their lunch break. It also means women who can’t afford a mammogram or who don’t want to, or can’t, travel to a large city like Little Rock have access to the most advanced services.

“It’s convenient,” she says about the mobile unit that travels to 26 of the state’s counties that have no fixed mammography services. The program, however, is about more than easy access.

“We hope to break down any barriers that are keeping women from getting exams,” Enoch says.

Registered nurse Heather Buie, now a proud licensed commercial driver, is also excited about the program that keeps her on the road about four days

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“Since the kick-off on February 24, 2010, the UAMS MammoVan has screened 1067 women in 15 counties, with an average of 24 patients at each stop. Out of this number there have been 34 biopsies, eight cancers and two lumpectomies,” says UAMS communications director Andrea Peel.

“That’s double what we expected to do, and our goal is to reach even more women,” Buie says.

Out of the patients tested, nine patients have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

“There’s definitely a real need for our services in Arkansas,” Buie says.

In 2009, more than 1,800 women in Arkansas were diagnosed with breast cancer, and with early detection, survival rates go up.

The mobile unit, which is handicap accessible, is staffed by a certified mammography technologist and a technical assistant, both of whom are backed up by a radiologist at UAMS who reads patient images.

Generally, patients are sent their results within about two weeks. If there is a problem, they are walked through the process of receiving follow-up care, says Buie.

According to UAMS, funding for the MammoVan came from the Susan G. Komen For the Cure Little Rock Affiliate, Walmart Foundation, National Breast Cancer Foundation, Breast Cancer Relief Foundation of New Orleans, Arkansas Cancer Coalition, Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, Runway for a Cause, Big Red Tailgate, Win Rockefeller Jr., Dee Dee Ricks and Joan Bass.

Collaborating partners include the Arkansas Department of Health, Community Health Centers of Arkansas and the UAMS Witness Project.

For more information about the UAMS MammoVan, call (800) 259-8794. 

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