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About Us |
The Story of Beyond Boobs!
It's one of the most exclusive clubs around—and it's one
nobody wants to join. The qualifications for membership
are simple: You must be a survivor of breast cancer and
you must be young (diagnosed before menopause.) They
came together for the first time as an official group in
late 2006, thanks to The Good Health Fairy.
René Bowditch and Mary Beth Gibson met at a retreat for
breast cancer survivors in September of 2006. Mary Beth
was in the midst of treatment, having been diagnosed
just four months earlier, and René, five years out, was
making an appearance as her alter ego, the Good Health
Fairy. An instructor at the William and Mary Law School
by day, René becomes the Good Health Fairy when a
different kind of assistance is needed. This beautiful
and dignified woman dons an elegant evening gown and
tiara, ties her pink high top tennis shoes, grabs her
wand, and with a sprinkling of fairy dust becomes the
most glamorous clown ever. A breast cancer retreat was
the perfect venue for this breast cancer survivor and
her special brand of love, humor, and compassion.
A conversation ensued between the two about the unique
challenges facing young women with breast cancer and the
limited resources available to address their needs and
concerns. This fact was particularly evident at the
retreat as only three of the 20 cancer survivors in
attendance were in their 40s or younger. René took this
conversation to heart and with a wave of her wand,
invited those three and two other young women she knew
through her role as an ACS Reach to Recovery volunteer
to her home for “Tea and Talk.” The first gathering
occurred just one month following the retreat, and by
the summer, this informal network they created to love,
nurture, comfort, strengthen, and help one another had
grown to almost twenty members!
The group named themselves “Beyond Boobs!” because they
didn't want to be defined by their status as breast
cancer survivors. Rather, they wanted to convey their
power to get beyond the disease that originated in their
breasts and get on with living life to the fullest. They
also wanted to express that contrary to what our culture
may proclaim, the essence of a woman is not contained in
her breasts, and that a woman's femininity and worth
extend far beyond her outward appearance. The name is
also a way of approaching a very serious, heavy subject
with healing humor, and allowing people to laugh as well
as cry.
These dynamic women sought each other out because they
are a unique subset of their generation, with concerns,
fears, and needs foreign to most of their other friends.
They share jaunty hats, babysitting services, healthy
recipes, much laughter and many tears. With their
paradigms not just shifted but fractured and re-set,
they have come together to cherish and support one
another. They are also passionate advocates for early
detection and diagnosis for everyone, whatever their
age. All are freshly aware that our tomorrows are not a
given and are determined to maximize today and improve
the future, both for themselves and for others.
Quite simply, what motivates the group is love, and
they've put this love into action. Soon after that first
meeting, René began passing around a small wooden box of
cards printed with the picture of an angel and a single
word. After drawing a random card, each one shared how
the word resonated with her. The words that were drawn
at one meeting —“Adventure”, “Educate”, “Birth” —
planted the seed of an idea.
This also prompted the creation of Beyond Boobs!, Inc.,
a non-profit with a dual purpose: (1) to save lives
through education, especially by convincing women that
they must be responsible for their own breast health,
and by alerting the medical community to be vigilant in
the detection of this disease in the youngest of women,
and (2) to support and encourage young women who have
been diagnosed with breast cancer. Their vision is to
take Beyond Boobs! nationwide, perhaps even
international, so that all women everywhere will know
the value of life-saving early detection, and that other
young breast cancer survivors can experience the
benefits the group gained by sharing this “journey” with
each other.
They're aiming high and thinking big, with a keen sense
of urgency to spread the word. Their goal is to reach
women on every college campus, newlyweds at the
gynecologist's office, and young moms in line at the
grocery store. They are determined to do whatever they
possibly can to ensure that some day there will no
longer be a need for a group such as Beyond Boobs!
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