Does Every Woman Really Count?

On Monday, I headed up to Sacramento with an amazing young woman, Carlie, for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure California Collaborative Lobby Day. The day started with bake sale hosted by the Woman's Caucus of the state legislature. I should point out that this was a pretty she-she bake sale considering it raised $3,800 for Komen in just a few short hours. At mid-day, a pretty big press conference was held, which garnered the attention of the key players on both sides of the aisle. Finally, the day capped off with the lighting of the State Capitol PINK and a night rally calling on the state to reinstate services immediately.

Two days later and I am still smiling with the feeling of awe of excitement over what a huge success the day was. I have been on quite a few lobbying ventures and I have never left feeling that the day was as worthwhile and as accomplished as I had with this visit. The legislative leaders were eager to take a stand with US, literally waiting in line to get a camera shot with the dozens of activists and survivors working on behalf of uninsured women in California. Waiting in line to express their anger at the thousands of women that will undoubtedly die if action isn't taken. Waiting in line to stand united with breast cancer survivors, breast cancer advocates and breast cancer warriors.

In December 2009, the Department of Public Health announced the Every Woman Counts program would no longer serve women age 40 to 49 as of January 1, 2010. The program also placed a freeze on new enrollments for women age 50 and older until July 2010 aka CLOSE and LOCK the doors to the most vulnerable women in our communities! These two changes will deny or delay services to about 100,000 women and put thousands of lives at risk.

Simply put, this is unacceptable. Yes, we are in a budget crisis. Yes, cuts must be made. But imposing a death sentence on women is not a viable solution. Mr. Governor and Dept. of Health, you have made a huge mistake. Ironically, the state-run program is called Every Woman Counts, but we ask the Governor, does every woman really count?

Mammograms save lives. There is no cure for breast cancer (yet so donate today). The only chance of beating the beast is catching it early. Early detection saves lives and mammograms are the only readily available screening tool. However, closing the doors and refusing to service any women for six months and then raising the age to women 50 and older is dangerously absurd.

Most of you know I was diagnosed with aggressive triple-negative breast cancer at 27. Well, I was blessed to have the luxury of private insurance. For me, there is a happy ending. But that is not always the case.

An amazing young woman, Carlie, joined me at Lobby Days. In fact Carlie is still in high school. Carlie courageously shared her personal connection to the Komen Promise with the legislators and staffers and volunteers we spent the day with in an effort to save lives of uninsured women. When Carlie was 6-years old, her young, beautiful, strong, brave mother, Patty, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Patty fought hard for four years, all along while teaching first grade and being the best mother in the world to her three young children. The angels took Patty at the age of 44 when her babies were 7, 10 and 12 years old. I sat next to Carlie and listened to her bravely advocate in honor of her mother and on behalf of the most vulnerable women and children in the state. Carlie's conviction and passion permeated through the Capitol as she pleaded for our elected officials to open the doors back up so no other child needlessly loses their mother to breast cancer.

As an advocate I couldn't have been more pleased with how receptive the legislature was to our campaign.

As a young woman, a young mother and a young breast cancer survivor, I couldn't be more proud of young Carlie and hopeful for a end to breast cancer.