Since it’s founding in 1982 by Nancy Brinker to honor her sister, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and its Affiliates have invested more than $630 million in breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment. Today, the Komen Foundation is one of the largest organizations of its kind with more than 75,000 active volunteers. It is credited as the nation's leading catalyst in the fight against breast cancer. More than 200,000 individuals will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year and 40,000 will die from it. And because no one knows exactly what causes breast cancer, there are no sure ways to prevent it. Research remains critical not only to the treatment of the disease, but also to its prevention.

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation

5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 250

Dallas, TX 75244

Telephone: (972) 855-1600

http://www.komen.org

Call the Komen Foundation’s Breast Care Helpline:

1-800-462-9273

Nancy Brinker, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation

“There was a time when women could scarcely utter the word. They called it “The Big C” and assumed you had to die from it. That fear kept Nancy Brinker’s sister, Suzy Komen, from seeking more aggressive treatment for her breast cancer. After nine operations and three courses of chemotherapy and radiation, Suzy lost her three-year battle in 1980 at the age of 36. Just before she died, Suzy turned to her sister and best friend, Nancy, and said, “Nan, as soon as I get better, let's do something about breast cancer.”

“Terror, rage, sadness, and above all, a feeling of complete and utter helplessness invaded me,” Nancy shared. In the beginning, Nancy wasn’t sure how she could honor Suzy’s request. “The first thing I had to do was make it a subject that people could actually talk about.” So from her living room, she set to work at getting the conversations going.

It certainly wasn’t the ideal time to take on a new cause, but such calls to action are rarely convenient. Not only had Nancy lost her sister, she was stinging from a recent divorce and was in the midst of a horrendous custody battle. To top it off, she had also lost her job. But Nancy proclaims, “Among the many things my sister taught me was this life lesson: there’s no time like the present. So I set to work channeling my anger and sorrow to honor her dying wish…”