What is Pass It On!

Since my web site is not fully up and running, I wanted to go ahead and explain the purpose of Pass It On! for you all. (Yes, it is Pass It On! with an exclamation point, because it requires action from the recipient.) The web site will be interactive by the end of the year, but what is more important to me right now is that I get you and anyone else relevant breast health information.

So, here is the Pass It On story! Because I found my own cancer when I was 32, I decided to start a grass-roots mailing effort in order to become the liaison between the medical community and real women everywhere. The purpose is NOT to spread fear as the likelihood of young women getting breast cancer is miniscule (0.4% to be exact, facts provided by breastcancer.org.)

I was walking around during one of my chemo sessions at KU MedWest when I saw these wonderful self-exam cards that the Susan G. Komen foundation created. The cards are thoughtful because you can put them on the shower and you can punch out the month once you are done. A no-brainer. However, I didn't want the cards to be at the cancer center anymore, I wanted them to be in the hands of all the women I know and love.

The name Pass It On! came about because I share a packet of information with each recipient and then I ask them, if they are comfortable, to pass a packet on to a friend. This year's mailing will include a portfolio binder with a marketing document with my personal story, a breast self exam card, a mammogram information sheet and general breast health flyer. The recipient's packet will be on the left, with the packet for a friend on the right. (The marketing document is totally FUN, has lots of pix of the kids and family.)

All medical documentation is provided through Komen. Pass It On! recently obtained a grant through Komen-KC. Before this grant, the funding for the mailing was provided through Michael and me and our extended family. However, I wanted to expand the program so that we could reach more people.

The Greater Kansas City Community Foundation has helped us with that. So has Komen of Greater Kansas City. I always evaluate thoughtful ways in which I can help women add screenings into their busy lives. We will add surveys to the program this year so I can see how things are going and how we need to evolve.

My story has been the one that we have shared over time. However, I want to provide a mechanism to share stories of other survivors. I love to write and love marketing. It comes naturally to me, but I want to find a way for other survivors to find meaning by sharing their stories, if and when they are ready. So, going forward, it will not be all about me. It will be about survivors, at any age.

The target audience for the mailing began as an effort to reach women under 40. But, the truth is that self-exams are relevant for women AT ANY AGE. Mammograms are available to everyone at the age of 40, but my thinking is this...if you perform monthly exams on your own, then you will identify the importance of scheduling mammograms and annual exams. They are all vital tools to maintain breast health. Monthly exams fill in the gap where mammograms and annual exams can't. I want to empower women to know that they are qualified to perform these exams.

As moms, wives, girlfriends, sisters, daughters...we have so many responsibilities and we tend to put our health last. Pass It On! is just a way for me to challenge women, in a delicate fashion, to consider putting their health first. Your health matters, YOU matter!

We do perform speaking events and distribute packets to schools, churches, hospitals, etc. However, if you would like to personally be added to Pass It On!, just email me at laura@passitonusa.org. You can do the same if you want to have a speaking event scheduled and/or want packets distributed to a specific organization.

Please know my goal is never to intrude or create fear. I want to mail to a willing audience and/or present to a willing audience. Otherwise, the message may not be heard. I know I have a unique situation with being a stage IV breast cancer survivor and having been stage IV from the beginning, but that is why I care about this message. I feel a burden to share...almost feel as though it would be irresponsible not to share this information.

I absolutely want a cure for this disease so that none of you have to go through what I have gone through. However, in the meantime, early detection makes the difference in saving lives. It is critical to streamlining treatment and positively affecting prognosis. Please consider adding yourself to the Pass It On! mailing.

With love,
Lolo