The story below is from our March/April 2020 issue. For the full issue Subscribe today, view our FREE interactive digital edition or download our FREE iOS app!
A recently established organization offers support for women affected by breast and ovarian cancers.
The Breasties, a national nonprofit organization founded in February 2018, provides a community and safe space for young women affected by breast and ovarian cancers to share their experiences.
Jessica German, ambassador for the Star City Breasties chapter, established the Roanoke chapter in June 2019, and hosted several events, including coffee dates, paint nights, arcade nights and yoga classes to connect women with similar experiences.
“It’s just easier not to talk about it than to make others uncomfortable. That’s why I think having this community is so very important. We get it. We don’t judge each other. We uplift and encourage each other. We can talk openly about surgical procedures, complications, emotions, and struggles,” says German.
An official donation website for the Roanoke chapter recently launched, which German hopes will increase revenue to fund free activities for members in the area.
“We partner with local businesses and instructors who are willing to donate time, space, or talent, whenever possible, to keep the cost of our events free or reasonably priced,” says German.
German says many young women affected by breast and ovarian cancers feel ashamed or nervous to speak about their experiences, as the perception is these diseases only affect older women.
German, who has personally felt the effects of breast cancer in her family, chose to have a preventative mastectomy after learning from genetic counseling of a mutation in the NBN gene, “which means that my body doesn’t produce the proper proteins that act as tumor suppressors.”
“Unfortunately, most people don’t understand how complicated genetic mutations are, and therefore, the difficult decisions they present,” says German. “In my case, I worried that people would question and judge my decision to proceed with a major surgery without having a positive cancer diagnosis. I’ve had people say, ‘at least you got a free boob job’ or ‘upgrade.’”
Many women who choose to undergo preventative surgeries or procedures are met with inappropriate comments toward their decision.
“I think a lot of women just find that people aren’t informed, and either say inappropriate things or try to change the subject,” says German.
German said The Breasties community provides a place for women with cancer to process their emotions and support other women with cancer.
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