My connection...
I know 5 people who were diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 50. Four of whom were diagnosed in their 30's. Yes, their 30's people. One of those is Tammy Meyers who has made it her mission to educate and help women learn about early detection with her Forgotten Fighters passion project campaign.
Who are the Forgotten Fighters (in Tammy's words)...
They are your daughters, your sisters, your friends and your wives who get breast cancer before they turn 50 with NO family history of the disease. And now the US Government is recommending no screening for women under 50 with no family history. But breast cancer happens under the age of 50. In fact, women in their 20’s and 30’s are being diagnosed with breast cancer every day. The harsh reality is that breast cancer is not limited to those who have a family history, high body weight, lower activity level, consume more alcohol, or smoke. It can attack any woman, young or old, at any age. This overlooked group—younger women in their 20’s and 30’s—are typically diagnosed with much more aggressive and further advanced forms of breast cancer. It is unacceptable that the U.S. Government does not recommend screening young women. Even more, it suggests that younger woman should not even perform self-breast exams. This entirely contradicts the long-held suggestion that early detection saves lives. If it’s large enough to be felt, it already may be too late. When a tumor is found during an annual screening—mammogram or ultrasound—it’s often caught long before it has grown to a size that can be felt. Unfortunately, women under the age of 50, especially those under 40, must rely on themselves to find a lump. We must show the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force that although we may be the smallest categories of women diagnosed with breast cancer, we still represent lives that could be saved. In the absence of Government-guided support, young women need to be our own breast advocates. We need to forget about the guidelines and get to know our bodies, check ourselves often, and push our medical team to do the same.
Tammy Meyers
My Personal Pink Time
How you can help...
Please join us in the fight to change the recommendation to a much earlier age and give younger women a fighting chance against breast cancer. Don't just do it for us, do it for all the daughters, mothers, and wives who will be diagnosed. Please take a few moments to watch the video below, like and share the Forgotten Fighters Facebook page, use the hashtag #ReverseTheRecommendation and sign the PETITION, follow Tammy's Blog and of course help make this grassroots campaign go viral, by passing this message along to everyone you know in any way you can.
The scary part Tammy wants you to know...
If it’s large enough to be felt, it already may be too late. When a tumor is found during an annual screening—mammogram or ultrasound—it’s often caught long before it has grown to a size that can be felt. Unfortunately, women under the age of 50, especially those under 40, must rely on themselves to find a lump. We must show the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force that although we may be the smallest categories of women diagnosed with breast cancer, we still represent lives that could be saved. In the absence of Government-guided support, young women need to be our own breast advocates. We need to forget about the guidelines and get to know our bodies, check ourselves often, and push our medical team to do the same. Please join us in the fight to change the recommendation to a much earlier age and give younger women a fighting chance against breast cancer.
My contribution...
Tammy contacted me in February of 2016 and asked: "how are you at freehand hand-lettered type on very uneven surfaces?" So I immediately thought she needed a project done on barn wood. Nope. She had a little something different in mind. It took about a month before I found out her plan and that's when I learned the "uneven surfaces" would be women's torsos. Women who are themselves Forgotten Fighters. Since I know way too many Forgotten Fighters personally and would do anything I could to help Tammy with her cause and this passion project of hers, I said I AM IN! Besides I already had the paint. ;-)
The BEST artwork I've EVER DONE...
This is it. This is the lettering I am most proud of. Is it technically fabulous lettering? No. My goodness was I nervous the first couple tries. And as you can guess, nervous equals shaky hands which equals not great lettering. But I was determined to get this as good as I was capable of. So I practiced. I practiced on paper, on my daughter's back on my own arm and on Tammy. And I got better. But honestly, it didn't even matter because this is about so much more than how the words are written or the lettering style. It's a powerful, important message that needs to get heard. I was honored to do my small part and now I beg you to do yours. Help spread the word on social media or heck, just tell anyone you know with boobs to do self-exams and get a mammogram for goodness sake!
