Pretty in Pink - A journey from pain to awareness
In a world filled with diverse cultures, beliefs, and traditions, the global community has come together to recognize October as “Breast Cancer Awareness Month.” This collective effort speaks volumes about the power of raising awareness, and yet there remains an undeniable urgency to do more.
The Origin Story: The Pink Ribbon a demand for prevention and accountability
Charlotte Haley, the Creator of the First (Peach) Breast Cancer Ribbon, started making them in the 1990s, at the age of 68. Haley, who had battled breast cancer, first began hand-making peach breast cancer ribbons in her dining room. To each packet of five ribbons, she attached a postcard that read: “The National Cancer Institute’s annual budget is $1.8 billion, only 5 percent goes for cancer prevention. Help us wake up legislators and America by wearing this ribbon.” Her ribbons were a call to action: a demand for prevention of this disease and greater accountability. Later in October 1992, cosmetics giant Estée Lauder shared the pink ribbon—a new symbol of hope and strength for those facing breast cancer—through its nationwide cosmetics counters for the first time
How far have we progressed since 1991?
The harsh reality of breast cancer’s impact on our world is best articulated by the World Health Organization (WHO), whose data reveals that breast cancer claimed the lives of 685,000 individuals worldwide in the year 2020 alone. 1 These numbers, while shocking, can often feel insignificant to many of us. It’s all too easy to fall victim to misconceptions, allowing fear or procrastination to hinder us from taking proactive steps, such as undergoing regular screening tests. Despite the availabilities of numerous centers offering screenings for free – making them accessible to a wider audience, the reluctance to participate is yet to be challenged.
The fight is still on for a Pinker Tomorrow
After all is said and done, there remains one question, what is your responsibility, what’s your role in society, and the changes you will bring. The life-changing decisions you make today to get the screening, nudge that friend who’s been reluctant to visit the center, is rewarding and relieving. In today’s age of technology and innovation, the approach to screening has changed dramatically making the process much easier and faster – what better way to take advantage than this.
Written by Roza Bairu
