Don't Buy Into "Pinkwashing"

Today marks 10 years since I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

I, like many of my sisters and brothers am a changed lady 10 years later. When your life takes a turn for the worse, one tends to turn it around for the better along the way. You begin to enjoy the small things in life a whole lot!

In a few days, it will be the start of breast cancer awareness month.

Ten years later, I am still for research, I am still for clinical trials, I am still for trying new protocols, but, I am not for all of the "pink washing" that is about to take place!

Purchasing pink merchandise does not bring awareness to breast cancer. Pink does not go through the emotional trauma and fear of cancer, pink does not go through ports to deliver chemo, pink does not burn up from radiation! Pink does not walk around with one or no breasts, pink has never met a PET or CT scan, pink does not know from bone or joint pain! Pink does not have scars from one end of the body to the other. And, there is not a pink cookie or lemonade that would ever understand or help with any of this!

Pink does not have a face! I, along with my sisters and brothers who have been through the breast cancer journey are the faces of breast cancer and breast cancer awareness month.

If you really want to help, take the month of October and help a patient, even if you don't know them, donate your time, cook a meal, give a caregiver a break, drive someone to treatment, check with friends, wives, sisters, mothers, and aunts to see if they've had a mammogram, if not, tell them to please make an appointment and, offer to go with them. These are the types of donations that are felt 100%. Leave the money donations to corporate America.

I was the 1 in 8, I do everything in my power so you won't be the next one!

Beth Kaufman
Author of Make Mine A Double, A Mastectomy That Is

If you are looking for support, please like my Facebook page to meet some new Pink sister and brother.

Resources I have created to help cancer patients:

1. My personal book, Make Mine a Double, A Mastectomy That Is
2. Online Course for someone newly diagnosed/caregiver and family of someone newly diagnosed with breast cancer
3. Adult Coloring Book for patients going through chemo
4. Children's Coloring book for patients going through chemo