Today I took a pledge. I pledged to blog about the Army of Women. The Love/Avon Army of Women (AOW) is a unique program of the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit breast cancer research organization. The program is funded through a grant from the Avon Foundation for Women. The AOW provides an opportunity for men and women to take part in breast cancer research studies aimed at determining the causes of breast cancer—and how to prevent it. The AOW is a groundbreaking initiative that connects breast cancer researchers via the internet with women who are willing to participate in a wide variety of research studies. The goal of the Army of Women is to recruit ONE MILLION MEN AND WOMEN of all ages and ethnicities, including breast cancer survivors and those who have never had breast cancer. I took the pledge today to do my part by posting the AOW's information on blog. I took the pledge to not only inform others, but to particpate. I will gladly be involved in any reasearch that I can in order to help make strides in eliminating breast cancer. My mom was the one who introduced me to The Arm of Women and because breast cancer directly affected my mom's life, it also directly affects mine. So I will do what is neccessary to spread the word of the Army of Women today in hopes of aiding in the recruitment of one million men and women to join the Army of Women to help determine the cause of breast cancer and how to prevent it. The AOW asked that people dedicate their blog posts today, October 1st, to spreading the word. I will not just post this on my blog, I will participate.
It's interesting that they asked people to post this in their blog because to be honest the very beginning of my blog stemed from one of my own personal expiriences with breast cancer. Last February I got the idea to write a novel. I wanted to write it in order to preserve a little piece of my own history. I have always wished that my grandparents or even my parents would write in journals so I could later revisit them and learn from them. I wanted them to write, because sometimes I know you don't get around to asking all the questions you want to, and sometimes you don't even know what questions to ask. I never got to meet my mom's mom because she passed away from breast cancer when my mom was only my age. I bet she wished her mom had kept a journal.
My initial desire to have records of my families personal lives actually developed when I was in the sixth grade. That was the first time I ever committed to a journal. That was the first time I learned what loss looked like, and the idea of people forgetting, or never knowing, scared the hell out of me. One of my best friend's mom passed away that May when were only 12 years old after battling with breast cancer. I saw my friend break as I saw my mom remember. It was an incredible challenging time as a middle schooler, it literally broke my heart and still does. Every since then, on and off, I have attempted to document what is going on in my own life and in my family's lives so that if something ever does happen, somewhere, it was once recorded. I don't mean that in a morbid/odd way, and I am not sure how I feel about sharing that on my public blog, but that's the reality.
I write to preserver the here and now. And today, I write for breast cancer. For those who were lost, for those who are fighting, and for familes and friends who have been affected. If I can take the pledge to join the Army of Women in order to make a difference, by all means, I will, and I encourage you to do the same. It's simple. It's free. It makes a difference. (Men as well!)
- Lizzie
P.S. Watch the video: One Million Strong!!