Thriving Pink supports survivors

Almost thirteen years ago, Joni Rubin was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.

Now, Rubin serves as the vice president and Mentoring Pink chair for Thriving Pink, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping those in Yolo County impacted by breast cancer by providing a network of support and resources.

“When I went through it, it felt pretty lonely,” Rubin said. “I didn’t know other people going through it at the time.”

Founded in 2016, Thriving Pink is a volunteer driven organization and focuses on supporting local breast cancer patients and survivors through a mentorship program, financial grants, workshops, and renewal retreats. Volunteers also put together comfort bags for newly diagnosed patients that include items such as heart pillows to help after breast surgery and hand-knitted hats.

“October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so I think it’s a good time to put a spotlight on it,” Rubin emphasized.

The peer mentorship program, known as Mentoring Pink, connects newly diagnosed patients with survivors and those further along in their journey to provide emotional and practical support through the challenges of breast cancer, Rubin explained.

Board member and Woodland business owner Andrea Mayer was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 and participates in the Mentoring Pink program.

“It’s overwhelming,” Mayer said, referring to all of the information that follows after getting diagnosed with breast cancer. “It’s really about connecting people at different stages in their journey, because we’re all still on this journey forever. It gives that support and it’s also just about being somebody who’s been there.”

Thriving Pink also provides individual financial grants to survivors through their Granting Pink program. The grants are used to help individuals pay for needs including medical costs, prescriptions, co-pays and counseling.

Since 2017, the organization has provided over $128,000 in funding through the program, according to their website.

“I do have a fair amount of pa

tients that are low-income and who are under-insured, if you will,” said Dr. Alicia Silva, a general surgeon at Sutter Health in Davis. “I really am so grateful for the organization and being able to have resources for my patients to help them out and pay for items that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to pay for.”

About 1 in 8 women in the U.S. — approximately 13% — will develop breast cancer in their life. With such a high amount of women being affected, Silva said it’s important for women to get screened regularly.

Silva, who also serves on the Thriving Pink board, said women should generally get screened every year starting at the age of 40.

“Breast cancer is extremely common,” Silva said. “It’s the most common cancer in the world and it’s the most common cancer among women in the United States.”

Men, although not as commonly, are also affected by breast cancer. About one out of every 100 breast cancer cases diagnosed in the United States is found in a man.

Silva also noted that some people incorrectly assume that they are not at risk for breast cancer if it does not run in their family. However, she said most breast cancer is not genetically based and only about 5% of cases are due to a genetic mutation.

“There’s a lot of amazing advancements that improve survival,” Silva said. “There’s a lot of hope, there’s a lot of treatments and a cure is definitely a possibility. So, don’t be afraid to go out there and get your mammogram and if you unfortunately are diagnosed with breast cancer there are a lot of breakthroughs out there and new therapies that can be lifesaving.”

Thriving Pink will be at the Davis Farmers Market on Wednesday, Oct. 27 from 3-6 p.m. to provide community members with more information about their organization and the programs they offer.

“It touches far too many people’s lives,” Mayer said. “But, you can really gain so much by reaching out and just knowing that you’re going to get a lot of good support and a lot of good information from someone who’s experienced it just like you.”

For more information about Thriving Pink and how to get involved, you can visit their website.