Molly's Story

Wish I knew who said, "When Life hands you lemons, make lemonade." The Pink Fund is the lemonade I made, only, in pink, of course, when I learned I had breast cancer.

My April 1, 2005 diagnosis came as a complete surprise. I was transitioning between jobs, prepared to maintain my health insurance for about three months via a costly COBRA plan.

With no family history and 13 years of clear mammograms, I never considered the possibility that a mammogram would reveal breast cancer. Calcifications lurking in my milk ducts were banding together to form DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ).

My case was relatively mild, requiring two surgeries and six weeks of daily radiation, but I knew the disruption to the lives of other women was even greater.

Like me, many of these women were employed, their families dependent upon their income and health insurance. I wondered what happens to women who are too ill to work and whose jobs might be in jeopardy if they take off too much time for treatment and recovery.

I began asking questions of my healthcare providers and learned that while indeed this is a problem, they were not aware of a solution, other than Medicaid.

I know all too well how stressful it is to struggle financially while fighting cancer and I'm determined to help prevent other women, men, and their families from the same.

Did you know that:

• 46 percent of the national workforce are women
• 71.2 percent are heads of households
• 5 percent are self-employed
• More than half the family bankruptcies filed every year in the US are directly related to medical expenses. A recent survey shows that 75 percent of those are filed by people with health insurance
• One in eight women will receive a breast cancer diagnosis in their lifetime
• 211,000 women will receive a diagnosis this year
• 1300 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year
• Average treatment protocol is six months
• Survival rates now stand at 88 percent after five years

The Pink Fund has been formed to help women (and men) focus on healing, raising their families and returning to the workplace. The Pink Fund will provide short term financial aid during the brief period of treatment and recovery. Literally millions of dollars are being raised for early detection, research and programs for the medically underserved. Families facing breast cancer urgently need financial help now.

Molly MacDonald
SurThrivor
Founder/Director
The Pink Fund