This is Nancy Brinker, clapping her hands, maybe she is applauding herself for a job well done (sic). Well I am one person who is not clapping my hands for you Nancy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This blogging thing can sometimes feel like a burden. It seems that I never know how to begin or finish a post anymore. I want to write, probably need to write, and most definitely I feel a responsibility to write. Especially when it has been the kind of week this past week has been in the breast cancer community.
In the past week, two of my friends have had cancer return and a third friend, who has been living with metastatic breast cancer for some time, is now dealing with very severe health problems due to her treatment (to put it mildly, she is in a great deal of pain). This is part of the world of breast cancer. It is not the pink bowed version of things that the Susan G. Komen Foundation sells (mammograms and early detection equal a cure, etc.). Well, clearly mammograms and early detection do not equate to a cure.
And now, this just out: Nancy Brinker reportedly gave herself a 64% raise last year (see the Dallas News article here). She also claimed she was going to step down as CEO last year (amidst public outcry to do so). And yet she has not stepped down – she is still listed as the CEO of SGK and – apparently right around the time she was reportedly going to step down as CEO – she instead gave herself a 64% raise – way to keep up with inflation, Nancy.
According to the Dallas Morning News: “The nonprofit’s latest 990 IRS filing shows that Brinker, founder and CEO, made $684,717 in fiscal 2012, a 64 percent jump from her $417,000 salary from April 2010 to March 2011.”
I wrote a letter in 2011 (that I also posted on my blog) asking the Susan G. Komen Foundation to leave me alone (I was tired of being hit up for money and tired of being misled). I think given the recent news of Nancy’s 64% raise that this earlier post is relevant. Here it is again: SGK: Please Leave Me Alone
I should note that since that post, Susan G. Komen’s “marketing” department contacted me via email on multiple occasions – apparently my blog post version of my letter to them got some traffic and so they felt the need to respond (even though my attempts to reach them over 100 times – yes, really…I called over 100 times – were ignored).
They never responded to my letter until the blog version of it started getting some traction and traffic (retweets and comments on a blog can get some attention and apparently it got SGK’s marketing department’s attention). While they finally responded, their response was not to deal with any of the real issues I raised, but instead to dissuade me from writing anything negative about them. In fact, the person who contacted me from Susan G. Komen told me that it was “her job to be ‘in the know’ about what was being said about Komen” . . . wow. She went on to tell me that it was essentially her job to deal with people like me.
It all seemed incredibly disingenuous to me. And, even a bit creepy. I felt a little like I was being stalked. And, truth be told (and I am ashamed to admit this) it did dissuade me from speaking out against SGK. I felt intimidated. I felt harassed. And, I just didn’t want to deal with any more direct contact from them. (Keep in mind, they sought me out and emailed me at my personal email associated with this blog – not an email I have ever given to them).
I have attended SGK’s race for the cure. The event is something that many breast cancer survivor’s enjoy. I can appreciate that. There is a “Survivor Ceremony” and many survivors, I am sure receive something positive from the event. My problem with it is that it feels like a huge fraud. I don’t just mean the fact that the money SGK brings in each year – all in the name of a “race for a cure” – is mostly spent on things other than researching a cure (in 2010 Komen put less than 19% of the 389 million dollars it raised in the name of a cure towards actual research) . . . it is also the phoniness of it all – the tunnel vision and the false portrayal that everything is fine, that we are doing enough about breast cancer, that women are surviving because of us (Komen) and aren’t we (Komen) great.
The fraud that I witnessed (in addition to what I outlined in my letter back in 2011) was the parading around of women who have had breast cancer and now speak as though it was some little blip in their lives – that now everything is perfect and all the while Komen seemingly takes credit for these survivor stories. It feels like a cover up. It stinks, no wreaks, of false promise and false hope. And, worse, it makes people complacent because they are lead to believe that Komen is really fighting for a cure when clearly the numbers do not add up to that.
It feels like Komen uses these women to further their spin that early detection will save lives; that mammograms will save lives. The truth is that some people get cancer and some people don’t. The truth is that some people get it and get better and some people don’t. The truth is that early detection or not, no one knows why some people’s cancer’s recur. Early detection is not a cure. But, Komen sells the idea that it is a cure – and all this really tells me (along with their failure to put even 20 percent of the millions they raise towards research) is that they have given up on searching for a cure . . . and certainly there is no “race for a cure” . . . not that I can see.
I really want to believe that Brinker started the Susan G. Komen Foundation with the real goal of ending breast cancer. But, the constant spin about early detection being essentially a cure is not only misleading, it means that SGK is content with the status quo. They are satisfied with things as they are . . . despite Nancy’s claims that she is not . . . actions speak far louder than words.
The reality is that if SGK wasn’t absolutely okay with things the way they are (okay with my friends dying, okay with not understanding why some women who are diagnosed with breast cancer survive and never have a recurrence while others – also diagnosed early – at some later point end up with metastatic breast cancer), then they would put real money towards research; they would actually race for a cure and they would fund research for the most underfunded area of breast cancer: metastatic breast cancer – the kind that kills.
I am tired of seeing my friends suffer, tired of losing friends to this disease, fearful of losing more friends to this disease . . . and I am also tired of being fearful of a recurrence. This is the side of breast cancer that Komen not only seems to ignore, but they seem to simply sweep right under the rug.
This little rant of mine is for Rachel Morro who died of metastatic breast cancer and for my friends currently dealing with metastatic breast cancer. Something has to be done. Just think, if even half of the the money that had been given to SGK in 2010 had been put towards research (instead of Rachel Morro of Cancer Culture Chronicles calculation of only 19% or Reuters calculation of only 14%) then nearly 200 million dollars could have gone to breast cancer research in just one year alone. Now that could really be something.
Komen raises millions of dollars each year in the name of a cure. In doing so, they are essentially siphoning funds away from breast cancer research. How can I say this? Well, apparently at least 80% of the nearly 400 million dollars Komen raised in 2010 went to something other than research. I highly doubt that donors expected 80 cents of every dollar they donated to go to something other than research for a cure. So, if that money had not gone to Komen, then it could have gone directly to actual research – it could have gone directly to what those making donations likely expected it to go to – to research for a cure. Research is what will lead to a cure – not mammograms, not awareness, not pink porta-potties and pink golf carts, not pink anything.
I am not against pink. I am just against the double talk and deception. You simply can not claim to be racing for a cure if you are spending less than 20% of the millions of dollars you take in – in the name of “ending breast cancer forever” – on research.
I expect to hear from SGK’s marketing department very soon . . .
cancerfree2b 
Reblogged this on anotheronewiththecancer and commented:
Wow, there is a person at SGK in charge of being “in the know” of what is being said about SGK? It seems to me there is much anger out there for them, so this person is not doing a good job of being aware, or no one there feels the need to make changes. It will be interesting to see if they cease being obtuse when all the fit hits the shan about this pay increase.
Hi, thank you for the reblog! I thought I had replied to your comment earlier, but, I guess it didn’t post, sorry for being so slow in my reply.
I love your “fit hits the shan” . . . and I really hope that it does 🙂
She has earned it . . . and we need things to change.
You are so right about them: ” . . . no one there feels the need to make changes . . .”
That was evidenced by the woman from their marketing department (whose job it is to “be in the know” about “what is being said about Komen”) she kept saying these two things (over, and over and over again): “I didn’t work for Komen when you were seeking assistance” [and when no one ever returned my over 100 phone calls] and “I wish there was something I could do”
It was such garbage. I told her there was something she could do – get my complaint in front of someone who could do something. Get that person to contact me. What is the point of having someone who can’t do anything get in touch with me? Well, we all know what the point of it was – to get me to shut up and to make me go away and to actually try to convince me that they cared . . . when in fact they clearly did and do NOT.
She finally gave up on trying to convince me that SGK is a great organization and that my experience was an anomaly . . . my experience was the norm and is still the norm. I gave her proof of that and instead of continuing to try to defend SGK, she went away and I have not heard from her since.
Well, thank you for your comment and for reblogging my post – I am very flattered.
All the best to you!
XOXOXOXOX
Lisa
Thank you for telling it like it is…..I always thought this was a rip off….Now I know for sure it is….My Sister is a Breast Cancer Survivor, Thank God But I now know who to give donations to and who not to give them to.. 😀
Hi Pam,
Thank you for your comment and for the new “like” on Facebook 🙂
I am glad your sister is a survivor. Thank God, indeed.
Dr. Susan Love’s Army of Women and Breast Cancer Action are two organizations that I support.
I need to put links up on my blog to both.
Thank you again for your comment, I always feel so exposed when I write about this, but I think it has to be done. I know that Komen will contact me – they always do. And I also know that some will tell me I am terrible for having anything negative to say about SGK and Nancy. But, it has to be told I think.
So glad you support the right groups 🙂
All the best to you and to your sister,
Lisa
Reblogged this on The Sarcastic Boob and commented:
Powerful and very well said.
Awe, thank you! I really appreciate the reblog!
All the best to you!
XOXOXOXOX
Lisa
Terrific! Thank you for having the courage to speak your mind and to educate. I wish everyone could/would read this. I can’t help but think that if people had been supporting the right charities all these years, we might actually have a cure/vaccine for breast cancer by now.
Thank you for representing all of us. Courageous people like you give me hope that change will come.
All the best…
Thank you so much for your kind words.
I agree, I can’t help but wonder where we could be right now if the money over all of these years had gone to research. It makes me angry and sad.
I am not courageous, I am just mad and disgusted and sad that I keep losing friends to this horrible disease and frustrated that everyone in Orange County (where I live) seems to sing SGK’s praises . . . it is like Komen Koolaid around here.
Thank you again for your kind words.
All the best to you too 🙂
Lisa
Lisa,
You are very welcome. It must be difficult to work in a town that rallies around SGK!
Though it was probably to a much smaller degree, it seemed that whenever someone learned of my diagnosis in the beginning, they made a point of telling me that they had given money to SGK. This always made me sick to my stomach! so I never missed an opportunity to educate people who cared to listen, but it seemed that most people would rather not know. I couldn’t imagine living is a big SGK-centric town.
I think Komen is such a machine that many people believe it must be doing good things or it wouldn’t be as large as it is.
I am thankful there are people like you who are trying to dispel this myth!
p.s. i still think that along with mad and disgusted, you are also courageous! 🙂
Thanks for taking the time and also the initiative to write this last post. It is a sad testament to breast cancer fund raising and if I were an American, I would be infuriated. And as a Canadian I am saddened that this is going on. We have in Canada the CIBC Run for the Cure each fall (yes in Pinktober) and I did it last year with 20 odd friends and family members. But that same day I spoke to a friend whose husband is an oncologist and over the years they have been involved in many fund raising events. She told me that only 15% of money raised goes to breast cancer whatever. I have yet to check this out but did hear that there was major dissent a few years ago about how little CIBC actually gives to cancer research etc. My friend also said that it is virtually impossible to get CIBC to let go of any money for real and important cancer issues. So it is not good here either and it is unlikely that I will do the run again but will attempt to find a cancer fundraiser that actually puts most of the money where it should go.
Marian
Thank you Marian,
I am infuriated. Frustrated, sad, angry . . . sigh.
If you haven’t seen Terry Arnold’s comment, you should read it. It is unbelievable how SGK treated her . . . as much as I am not surprised by what she relayed, I am still shocked and absolutely horrified by the way she was treated by them.
So disgusting, so horrible.
Thank you again for you comment. And, I am sorry to hear of CIBC and that they may be no better than SGK.
All the best,
Lisa
When I was dx with Inflammatory Breast Cancer in the summer of 2007, there was not a single word about IBC on the SGK pages. The most fatal of all the bc’s..and nothing. Rare, lumpless, not found on a mammogram, short life expectancy…my disease did not fit the happy pink ribbon that is for sure. I wrote and wrote SGK,please add a line or two, just so women could learn about IBC. For two years I wrote, called, emailed. Nothing. Finally, I asked some friends on FB to help me. And they did. Must have been alot of letters because a rep from SGK wrote me. “IBC was too rare, too scary to talk about” and “would I stop having people write them” How about that for cure? for care of women?
Dear Terry,
Thank you for sharing your story. I am SO sorry to hear of your experience with SGK. As you can imagine, I am not surprised, but I am horrified, absolutely horrified by how they treated you. That is just awful.
“IBC was too rare, too scary to talk about”??? And they asked you to have people to stop writing letters??? We need to all write letters now. I am enraged for you and heartbroken for you. As much as I had my own very bad experience with SGK, I am just shocked that anyone could say that to you. I am so sorry.
Thank you again for sharing your story. I hope this gets some attention. We need things to change. It is hard to write about it, but important.
love and hugs your way,
Lisa
The more I hear about this so called charity the worse it gets…. Keep writing keep sharing as people need to know so they can direct there money straight to research…
Hi Helen,
Thank you for your comment. I really appreciate it.
I really hope that more people will donate directly to research.
I look forward to reading your blog 🙂
All the best in health to you!
Lisa
Reblogged this on SwiftStream.
Thank you Heather! I really appreciate the reblog!
All the best to you!
XOXOXOX
Lisa
You may feel like you don’t know how to begin or end a blog post anymore, but you just did an AMAZING job. Thank you for your honesty and telling it like it is. I applaud you! If you hear a bunch of loud clapping, you’ll know why.
Dear Eileen,
That is so sweet. Thank you for the kind words. I really appreciate it, it means a lot.
I find it increasingly hard to deal with/write about this stuff. I start so many posts that I never finish. Your comment makes me feel very glad that I finished this one.
Thank you 🙂
All the best,
Lisa
Outstanding post. I’ll keep it brief. You are not wrong about Komen’s tactics. Not sure what it says about an organization that has Board Members and all kinds of regional people (not to mention Eric Brinker himself) looking people up on LinkedIn. The word “stalking” comes to mind, but so does harassment, intimidation, and yes, bullying. This has been going on ever since the Planned Parenthood debacle last year when many people voiced their outrage on Facebook. We know Komen sues any organization that dares to use “for the cure”; you have to wonder where they weigh in on freedom of speech and privacy. Actually, I’m not so sure I want to know.
Worst of all had to be reaching out to them for help at diagnosis (with huge insurance issues and being unemployed) only to be turned away and then receiving endless solicitations from them. Appalling, but nothing compared to their double-speak and completely consistent with the rest of their hypocrisy.
I hope that the recent articles in the NYT (Peggy Orenstein) and other blogs continue to go viral. For an organization so consumed with ‘awareness’ they’re about to get a major payback in pink spades.
Hi BlondeAmbition (love your handle) 🙂
Thank you for commenting on my post. I really appreciate it. Something’s gotta give. We need change.
Peggy’s article is the bomb! I hope the truth goes viral too!
XOXOXOX
Lisa
Wow, that post was an eye-opener for me. To be honest with you I’d never heard of Komen or her organization until recently. Thank you for the education.
Next weekend is the annual race for the cure at the Mall of America which is near where I live. I’ve written about this particular race for the past two years and I told myself not this year… I know exactly what you mean about the difficulty to write a post about this stuff again, but you might have just succeeded in getting me to rethink that… Anyway, thank you so much for writing this excellent piece!
Hi Nancy!
I’ve mostly been a lurker (doing my best to follow blogs, yours for example and #BCSM) and not much of a writer this past year. But, hoping to come out of blogging retirement a bit more regularly in the future 🙂
I really admire you and your dedication to your blog.
It has been difficult as I have been trying to return to my non-cancer life (working, playing some music and trying to pay bills, figuring out how I will keep my health insurance and simply live the rest of my life) 🙂 It is a struggle and often I have found it hard to compose a thought on this blog.
But, those days of incredible struggle, during treatment, when SGK dangled financial support out on their website even bragging about what they provide – but never could take the time to answer one of my over 100 phone calls – is still very painful to me and very hard to relive and write about. Still it is something that I think needs to be told. Did you see Terry Arnold’s comment about what they said to her? Oh my gosh, I just couldn’t believe it.
Very sad.
Anyway, I really just wanted to thank you for your comment and to tell you also that you should go next weekend if it is something that makes you feel good. I know that here, going means that I would see local women who I know . . . women from the support group I used to attend and other friends that I have met through this cancer club we all unwittingly joined. So, I understand. It is a mixed bag from that standpoint. Anyway, if you do go, please let me know what you thought of it. And, please understand that if you do go, I understand and that my goal of writing this post was certainly not to convince you, or anyone, not to go 🙂
My point, and my hope, is that we can get away from giving the lions share of money to Komen because they squander it (in my opinion). I don’t see any harm in survivor breakfasts (these provide support to women and men who need it). But, I just want them (SGK) to either stop hogging all of the money that is available for breast cancer research – admit that it is not going to that so that people will donate to research instead – OR, actually start putting their money where Nancy’s mouth is – towards working on a cure – research.
Now my reply seems like a whole new post 🙂
Thank you again for commenting. I look forward to reading your post about next weekend (whether you are an attendee or not).
XOXOXOXOX
Lisa
Hi Lisa, I guess I wasn’t very clear in my previous comment. I have never attended this race myself. What I meant was I’ve written a post about this Mother’s Day race for the past two years. Each year I find the ads promoting this event, and the news reports about it that follow to be really annoying, maybe even more so this year. I do have a post in the works for next week sometime. I really want to be done with Komen, even writing about them, but… Thanks again for this great post and also for your kind words. xoxo
Oh Nancy, I am so sorry – it was my misunderstanding (something that I experience more often than I would like – misunderstanding what someone has said – even when it is clear) 🙂 And, I should have understood simply from the fact that I read your blog! 🙂 Sigh. I am in an Army of Women study on cognitive rehabilitation (just started the five week class that is part of the study) today. I clearly need it. I am very excited about it and hopeful that it will help me 🙂
And I want to be done with Komen too!!!
Thank you for your kind words!
XOXOXOXOX
Lisa
Forgot to say you get bonus points for rhyming Brinker with stinker! 🙂
LOL, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before 🙂
XOXOXOX
Lisa
As a metastatic breast cancer patient, and a blogger, I have many times flamed Komen. I even named my blog “I hate pink” because I don’t like anything about them. I’m impressed that you have been contacted – I have been roundly ignored by them.
Being ignored by Komen is typical for those of us with metastatic disease; they want nothing to do with us. We are the “failures” that don’t fit their pretty little pink story as so they do zero for us. As a woman who will die of cancer, I think Susan G Komen must be rolling in her grave (easier to do without boobs) at what her sister has done in her name, I know if my sister had founded this organization I’d be horrified, not proud. No, I would not be proud of my overly plastic-surgerized sister and her million dollar salary (including bennies) as she pretends to care about women with breast cancer.
The ONLY women who will die of breast cancer are those with metastatic disease, like me. Komen gives almost nothing “for the cure” and instead spends it all on pink parties and ‘awareness” a concept long past its prime, like Nancy Brinker herself. .
I don’t think you will find a woman with mets who supports Komen, and the fact that I and my dying sisters have been outspoken but have never spoken with anybody from that organization speaks volumes. We don’t exist.
Good article, thank you for writing it.
Hello Ann,
Thank you for commenting on my blog. I have been following yours for some time and I have to say that you are amazing. I agree with you 100%. I love what you wrote: ” . . . ‘awareness’ a concept long past its prime, like Nancy Brinker herself”
That is hysterical and so true. I really don’t get how Nancy has been able to string this “awareness” crap out so long.
My boyfriend and I attended one of the races for the cure (sic) some years back and talk about the pretty pink stories they run – there was a woman up on stage talking about her breast cancer and then talking about how she had her “miracle baby” post chemo – even though she was supposedly infertile now after chemo. It just made my stomach turn. My boyfriend to this day still quotes that woman: “my miracle baby”. He does it because he sees it as such a fraud – sure there are those stories, but those stories are not the norm – let’s face it – women post chemo just aren’t popping out babies and moving on with their lives as if nothing happened. And, many women are not moving on with their lives at all.
I have no problem celebrating survivor stories – but not if it is in a vacuum and ignores the elephant in the room, the real truth that women are dying, the real truth that there is no cure, the real truth that until money is put towards researching metastatic breast cancer we will get no where with this disease.
I am honored that you would comment here. Thank you for taking the time.
And, thank you for writing your blog, it is amazing, like you.
All the best.
XOXOXOX
LisA
Thank you for writing again about the stinker Brinker. I agree with Cancer Curmudgeon, props for coming up with that awesome rhyme! I think you should start a #BrinkerStinker movement on Twitter! xoxo
HI Ren,
Oooh, great idea . . . hashtag brinkerstinker is ON!
🙂
Thank you for commenting on my blog 🙂
XOXO
Lisa
😉
Does anyone educate about the fact that what we put INTO and ONTO our bodies can cause cancer? Does SGK promote these facts?
I’ve always disliked SGK even before I saw the chapstick they hand out with their logo on it at their races have ingredients in them that are KNOWN TO CAUSE CANCER.
Another “charity” that is all about profit for their own pockets.. I wish the public had a clue & actually believed the truth here, not the lies fed to them while SGK is lining their pockets with gold.
Amanda,
You raise a great point. I haven’t been paying much attention to SGK’s website lately. But, I know for a fact that they have not made an issue of this in the past. I have always had a problem with that – there are KNOWN cancer causing chemicals in our food and in products we put on our skin but, Nancy who claims to want to “end breast cancer forever” actually endorses products that have chemicals in them that are known cancer causers – including Nancy’s own “promise me” perfume that she released a while back – that little fiasco had chemicals in it that were not listed in the ingredients that were known carcinogens! UGH!!!
Thank you for your comment and for the excellent point!
All the best.
XO
Lisa
I completely agree with you. I have done a few of their walks, both as a walker and as a crew member, always as a SURVIVOR. The one thing that always annoyed me was the $1200.00 that you had to put up. Now, being a survivor and unemployed for a while, I could not afford $1200.00. Being a survivor I have already paid my dues, I do not feel that I should have to put up money at all to participate in the 3 day event. I have to pay to enter it, and yes folks, they even have a payment plan. The events are awesome but too political and not nearly enough money actually going for the cause itself. I now do Race for the Cure and other events. I refuse to participate in the 3 day events anymore. I paid my price with a double mastectomy….I am done paying!
Reblogged this on cancerinmythirties.
Such a good post that I’m not sure how I forgot to do this yesterday! But doing it now — Reblogged on cancerinmythirties.wordpress.com 🙂
Oh thank you so much!!! I really appreciate it!
And nice to meet you!!!
Lisa
It’s infuriating and sad at the same time, to imagine that a venture which started out with the same feelings you have now – grief for the loss of a loved one – can have wandered so far from its mission and its core.
This is a strong reminder for everyone donating money to any charity, to check out where the donated money is going. In fact, now there are sites available to help you do that – like http://www.charitynavigator.org/, http://www.givewell.org/, and http://www.guidestar.org/. Of course, some of these are better than others, and they don’t always agree, but they’re a place to start. The listing at http://greatnonprofits.org/ for Komen is interesting…. As a breast cancer survivor myself, I have asked people who want to donate to consider our local cancer treatment centers and their research efforts. They don’t have a huge infrastructure to support, and they helped me.
Good luck with that next call from SGK…
This is a fantastic post! Very enlightening. Thank you for speaking the truth. Keep up your brave work even though it’s so difficult when it feels like a David/Goliath thing. Keep on.
Reblogged this on thebreastlife and commented:
Must read post about Komen and their “race” to find a breast cancer cure….
This is such a powerful post. Thanks for speaking up and out!
I have read all the comments and replies. I have lost family members to cancer and my mother has had ductal cell breast cancer two times. My niece died of IBC very distraught and not able to get assistance when she needed it most. I don’t like the way many of these big corporations use my dollars. I would rather put my money into local resources and help where I can see it help. Thanks again for the blog post, all the reposting of the blogs.
I have bc mets to lung (first diagnosed at 36 and returned 8 yrs later) I was one of those people that always did the cancer walk with ACS and after I got cancer was even more involved. When it returned I was really angry and realized that these organizations are selling us a lie and I no longer give my time or money to them….if we were made aware in the beginning of our illness that we have a “chronic” disease instead of saying ” once you hit the five year mark you’re golden!” we would be so much better informed. Thank you thank you for your courage to speak out!!
Came across this from a friend. I will do my part to share, share & share some more. What a disgrace! Thank you for this enlightening post. Do not get intimidated you have many behind you!
Well said… just wished more people would listen and respond with a resounding get gone NOW…
Thank you Cindy!!!
All the best,
Lisa
Wow, this is really powerful. Thank you so much for sharing. I have shared this on the Pinkwashing Hall of Shame on Facebook & Pinterest, and the Pinkwashing section of the Green & Holistic & Non-Toxic Living community on Google +. I’ll tweet it out as well.
Hi Danika,
Thank you for your comment and for the kind words and for reposting. I really appreciate it.
XOXOXOX
Lisa
Reblogged this on The Dad Poet and commented:
Not even 20 percent of the proceeds went to cancer research, and Brinker’s annual salary is now over $ 600,000. Does that sound like a cure to you? As a man who has lost MANY dear people, including my mother to the monster of cancer, the he over-the-top, power of positive thinking that has gone along with this campaign has had me suspicious for some time. Thankfully someone is documenting this fraud and theft.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I cannot express how grateful I am to see that someone is being really vocal about this fraud and theft. I have reblogged it as well. It was the trivializing of my mother’s death that I saw in the “Save the tatas” campaign name that really made me furious. You have my support and my megaphone.
Reblogged this on The ObamaCrat.Com™ and commented:
I didn’t find your name anywhere….so I’ll just call you Ms. Free, I want you to know you are my hero. Thank you for your honest truthful post. I’m reblogging this because you and your thoughts need to go viral. Thank you for sharing your life with us.
(° ͜ʖ ͡°)
♥ ❀ ✿ Namaste ❀ ✿ ♥
Thank you Jueseppi,
My name is Lisa. Nice to meet you 🙂 And, I LOVE my new name: Ms. Free 🙂
I really appreciate the repost, this is not easy stuff to write and to re-live – but, SGK has not changed and people need to know that the lion’s share of the money they raise in the name of a cure is NOT going to a cure, not going to research.
Thank you so much for sharing!
All the best,
Lisa
AKA: Ms. Free
You are providing a valuable service to the world. I am praying, hoping and wishing you are “Free” for infinity.
Good to know your name is Lisa but to me, you’ll always be Ms. Free.
I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Mother’s Day.
😎
I’ve posted a link to this on FB, too, as it needs to be repeated. The emphasis on mammography is sad as it is the least likely of all efforts to even find BC, however it certainly puts money in the pockets of… someone. These are vultures preying on the sick and the bereaved.
Thank you PCK!
I really appreciate your commenting on my blog and for posting this on FB!
All the best to you!
Lisa
Reblogged this on rectalcancermyass and commented:
I think this is a good reminder to thoroughly investigate any charity before donating . I chose to donate to local, smaller charities because the larger ones like Komen tend to lose site of what they are supposed to be about and become…greedy.
Thank you for reposting and for your comment!
All the best,
Lisa
Reblogged this on Views from the Hill and commented:
SGK has too many dirty little secrets its trying to hide, including its anti-abortion, anti- Planned Parenthood stance last year. This is a message that needs to get out!
Thank you for the repost and for your comment. Yes, I agree, they have many secrets. Those you mention are disturbing because no disease should be politicized – curing breast cancer, curing any disease, should not be a left or right issue. I want to know if Komen funds research organizations that also do stem cell research. I am curious if they steer clear that too for political reasons.
Thank you again for your comment and for re-blogging this post!
All the best,
Lisa
Thanks for your candor and fighting these battles for you and your friends. And, do not let the social media police for the organization (or any one for that matter) dissuade you from being forthright especially if you are malserved. The data points you cite give me huge pause, so I need to look more into them to see where money is being spent and why anyone would deserve such a raise. There are too many organizations that do good things and are good financial stewards to give money to those who are not. Thanks for writing and pushing the envelope. BTG
Thank you BTG!
I really, really appreciate your kind words. It means a lot!
All the best to you!
Lisa
I JUST posted something about them last nite and today I found your blog….I’m def reblogging this 🙂
Reblogged this on pinklemonsandrainbows and commented:
I happened to find this today. It’s a continuation (although much better stated) of my last post….
Cheers to you. xo
Awe 🙂
Thank you and Cheers right back to you!
Lisa
Reblogged this on cancerfree2b and commented:
This seemed worth repeating . . . so here goes . . . rehash of an old post, wish I could say that things have changed. Sadly, things have not changed. I am not against pink, I am simply agains the double talk and deception . . . and the complacency . . .