We all hear the statistics about breast cancer around this time every year. Our favorite sports teams gear up in pink, and the news and talk shows all highlight a beautiful, well-spoken woman who also happens to be a cancer survivor. Tears are shed, and hugs are shared all around the world. 

The survivor/warrior/hero discussion is ongoing in the breast cancer world, but mostly from the outside looking in. Those of us who have this disease struggle to use those terms when we talk to each other. We know that the needs of our community reach far beyond platitudes and lovely people who look great with no hair. 

In our community, we talk to each other about things like childcare during chemotherapy, going to radiation appointments during our lunch hours, working full time during treatment, and the overwhelming weight of financial toxicity due to cancer. When we talk about pink items, it's typically because we need advice about what to wear to our next cancer event.

We are, for the most part, a pretty loyal group. We find each other on social media, at the oncologist's office, at the supermarket, and from word-of-mouth from our non-cancer friends (we call them cancer muggles). And we share our experiences and who we trust. 

When we find a company that really seems to care about helping those with this disease, we shout it out and share with each other. It's common to hear, “Hey, I just bought these shoes, and they are giving a portion of the proceeds to help metastatic research!” or “My friend got me this water bottle and the proceeds go toward paying bills for women with breast cancer – you should all get one!” The pendulum swings the other way as well, of course. If we hear about a company mistreating a fellow survivor, we all know about it. 

I’m so grateful to the healthcare community for their compassion and oft-unrecognized work. I’m also thankful for their uniforms, which to so many of us are a physical representation of their compassionate hearts.

 

It's a particular joy when we find companies that care about who we are, what we need, and how to help. By partnering with an amazing charity, Barco has solidified its place in our hearts. We’ve already been fans because our favorite health care teams wear their products, but knowing they are so willing to help by supporting us in other ways? Amazing!

Help us invest in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer by purchasing limited edition Wild Pink scrubs from Skechers by Barco. A portion of all proceeds will go to Susan G. Komen®. See website for more details.