New Ladder To Success

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was founded in 1982 on a promise made between two sisters – Susan Goodman Komen and Nancy Goodman Brinker.

More than 20 years later, the Komen Foundation is a global leader in the fight against breast cancer through its support of innovative research and community-based outreach programs. Working through a network of U.S. and international Affiliates and events like the Komen Race for the Cure®, the Komen Foundation is fighting to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease by funding research grants and supporting education, screening and treatment projects in communities around the world.

Let's read how one woman makes a global impact based on a simple promise.

NewLadderToSuccess (NLTS):  Dear Ms. Brinker, we sincerely appreciate this opportunity to speak with you. First of all, can you share with us how you turned your grief of losing your sister, Susan, into the passion required to build a cancer fighting foundation?

Nancy Brinker (Nancy):   Nearly 25 years ago, I promised my sister Suzy I would do everything I could to end breast cancer forever. Growing up, our parents instilled in us the belief that one person has the power to affect change for many and, when Suzy died, I determined to establish the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation so no woman would have to suffer like she did. Little did I know then that hundreds of thousands of people would make my promise their own and, together, we would transform the way the world talks about and treats breast cancer. Though there is still much work to be done, our hard work has resulted in millions of breast cancer patients turning into breast cancer survivors.

 NLTS:   I cried when I read your account of Susan’s last wish, “doing something to help the sick women in the hospital.” It truly showed how selfless she was. With all the bad things happening around the world, do you still believe we can make a different and make our world a better place for everyone?

Nancy:   I firmly believe in the power of one individual to impact the world in a positive way. The Komen Foundation is built on grassroots – more than 100,000 volunteers working in 124 communities across the country, as well as around the world. These activists are the face of breast cancer; the ones mobilizing their friends and neighbors to participate in, advocate for and educate others about breast cancer and breast health. It is these individuals who will ultimately force the change that will bring about the cures for breast cancer.

NLTS:   What should a woman do to be more aware of her own risk of breast cancer? Have we made any significant breakthroughs in treating breast cancer? What about a cure in the future?

Nancy:   The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation advocates that early detection of breast cancer is the key to survival. However, we also know that ending breast cancer is about more than curing a medical condition – it’s about overcoming the cultural, social and financial conditions that prevent all women from receiving life-saving breast health care and treatment. I believe that we will see breast cancer shifting from a life-threatening disease to a manageable, chronic disease in the future. But before that can happen, we need to energize science to find the multiple causes of and cures for breast cancer and, ultimately, prevent it from occurring in the first place.

 NLTS:   Do you feel you have achieved what you set out to do when you began the foundation, or is there more to do?

Nancy:   In 2007, we’ll mark the 25th anniversary of the Komen Foundation. In the time since our inception, we have accomplished so much. Today, we have more early detection, more hope, more research and more survivors than ever before. We are so proud of and encouraged by that! But, there is still more work to be done. The Komen Foundation’s promise today is the same one I made to Suzy in 1982 – to end breast cancer. In order to fulfill that promise, we will mobilize more activists, invest more money in research to discover the causes and cures of the disease, as well as invest more in the care and treatment of underserved women.

NLTS:  Thank you once again for sharing your passionate story with us.

Related Link:  Susan G. Komen's story

Together with its Affiliate Network, corporate partners and various donors, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation has raised nearly $740 million for research, education, screening and treatment since 1982. The foundation is best known for its Race for the Cure events, the world's largest series of 5K runs and fitness walks. Komen estimates that more than 1.5 million people participated in its 2004 races.