12 Minutes
I had the honor of traveling to Washington, D.C. earlier this month to participate in the METAvivor Stampede on the Hill. METAvivor, a national 501(c) (3) organization, coordinates this event and devotes itself to funding research specifically for metastatic breast cancer.
One of the most sobering moments was when we commemorated the number of lives lost to metastatic breast cancer in the U.S. daily. That number is 117 … yes, 117 people die from this disease every day. That is one life lost every 12 minutes, every day of the year, in our country.
Perhaps the most disturbing fact is that number has INCREASED in the past 10 years from 108 per day.
That’s a lot of chairs left empty every single day.
Twelve minutes doesn’t sound like a very long time until you put some perspective on it.
This blog takes me about 25 minutes to write.
In that time, two more people had their lives stolen by metastatic breast cancer.
Twelve minutes is how long it takes me to clean a bathroom.
I can vacuum half of my house in 12 minutes.
I can drive to the grocery store or gas station in less than 12 minutes.
I can make breakfast in 12 minutes.
And every time I complete one of those tasks or errands, another life is lost.
So yeah … pink ribbons are good to remind people that we need mammograms and early detection. But we can’t stop with the ribbon, and we can’t stop that awareness and action after October 31.
We need to be aware of these numbers every single day of the year. Believe me, I am more aware than I ever thought I could be. My mind wonders when I will be the next statistic, when my 12 minutes will be up, when I will become just another number in the data.
So What?
I see the looks on people’s faces and can almost hear their thoughts: “So what?” We love you and support you, Debbie. But what can WE do to really support your journey?
I’m so glad you asked!
You can begin by spreading the word about these statistics. You can talk to your friends, family, and even doctors about this disease.
You can write to your Congressmen, including your state-level representatives and senators, to demand legislation that funds research.
You can emphasize the need for healthcare reform.
Reform that takes away insurance companies’ power to decide who gets treatment and when.
Reform that ensures Medicare and Social Security Disability benefits are accessible to us when we need them.
You can also reach out to me directly for more ways to effect change. My email is [email protected], and my phone number is 469-978-9356.
No confidentiality here … it’s literally on my business cards and website!
By doing these things, you can join me in my fight for meaningful reform and research funding to identify better treatments and maybe, eventually, a cure for this disease.
One life lost every 12 minutes to metastatic breast cancer.
We can, and must, do better.
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Photo credit: Macy Alex Photography https://tinyurl.com/Macy-Alex-Photography
