I’m sure by now you know that October is breast cancer awareness month. It’s the time to paint everything pink. If the adverts are to believed you should be wearing silly pink wigs, t-shirts, feather bowers……Pink this. Pink that. Pink everything. All to beat breast cancer.
But this doesn’t sit right for me…… because, for 1. My cancer isn’t pink, or fluffy, or cute. And we shouldn’t trivialise it as such.
And maybe more importantly, 2. We need to know more about where all this pink money actually goes?
Don’t be afraid to ask how much of your hard earned cash you spend on the pink actually goes to helping and supporting people with breast cancer? To finding a cure? To giving those of us with metastatic breast cancer a better, longer, life?
Because I’m going to bet, it’s very little. And right now, with median life expectancies of someone with mbc being 3-5 years, we need more money for research. Not more pink or more awareness. (Apparently, currently, only 7-12% goes to metastatic breast cancer research, which is definitely not enough!) So, please, #thinkbeforeyoupink.
And if in doubt, leave the pink on the shelves and donate directly to a smaller charity who are directly helping people……maybe Make Seconds Count, or CoppaFeel! or Trekstock.
Or find your local cancer centre and donate to them. If you’re in Sheffield, I’d recommend Weston Park or Cavendish Cancer Care.
📸: @binkynixon