The news didn’t receive much mention from the press here. Evelyn Lauder, credited with creating the pink ribbon, a symbol of breast cancer awareness, passed away on November 12, 2011. Sadly, she died of complications from another kind of cancer that happens to women, ovarian cancer.
Lauder created the pink ribbon in 1992. The daughter-in-law of Estee Lauder, who created the eponymous cosmetics company, Lauder and her husband began their campaign for breast cancer awareness by financing the bows given to women at department stores’ make up counters, to remind them of breast examinations. Their campaign grew and led to the designation of October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the US, and the foundation by Lauder, of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
The Independent, UK, quotes her recalling the early days of the campaign, saying there was no publicity about breast cancer but a “confluence of events – the pink ribbon, the colour, the press, partnering with Elizabeth Hurley, having Estée Lauder as an advertiser in magazines and persuading so many of my friends who are health and beauty editors to do stories about breast health – got people talking."
The report mentions that three years after the first pink ribbon was distributed, she said, a flight attendant noted one on Lauder's lapel and said, "I know that's for breast cancer."
Lauder said: "From there, it became ubiquitous."
The cause has lost an activist. But I, for one, am sure that Lauder must have inspired many women to go out there and work for it. Her message about being aware remains alive in the form of the pink ribbon and her work. Let’s continue it and get people talking.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Rope of solidarity
In 2008, about 100 breast cancer survivors, their kin and a few mountaineers went on the ‘Rope of solidarity’ climb on Mount Breithorn in Switzerland. They decided to climb the 4,000 m mountain to symbolize that fighting breast cancer is like climbing a mountain, an obstacle, but it can be overcome with the support of others.
This year a 100 women participated in the second climb on September 17, 18.
This year a 100 women participated in the second climb on September 17, 18.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Seeing Erin Kramp again
Yesterday, September 7, marked 11 years since my sister passed away.
Last night on Oprah, I again saw another remarkable woman who battled this disease and lost. Erin Kramp was 36 when she passed away. She left behind hundreds of tapes in which she spoke to her then six-year-old daughter. All the subjects she wanted to talk to her about, but wouldn’t be there in person to do. From how to wear make up to finding a husband, she spoke about everything she could think of.
Her daughter has grown up and was on the show talking about the tapes.
Only once during the tapes Erin was seen crying. In her last message, she spoke to everyone who supported her. She also said that she wants to be remembered. Live every moment in urgency, she said.
With this blog, I have my ups and downs. There are days when I wonder whether this is enough. There are days when I know I don’t have the courage to do more, so I stick to my words and use them to make people aware.
As in everything, awareness is the key to the fight. If one is aware, one is prepared for the battle.
I still dread the reactions I get when I wear the pink ribbon through October. I always I assume there is so much being written and talked about through the media about breast cancer, that people know about it. And every year I am proved wrong with the reactions to the pink ribbon. That’s when I know many people still have to be made aware.
On the surface it looks simple. I just have to blog. But to me it’s not just a post each time. To me it’s reliving many painful moments even if it’s something like choosing a subject. It’s painful and scary to continue to read about cancer, especially breast cancer. All day yesterday I thought about my sister. None of my friends remember the date. I didn’t talk to anyone about her. But then, seeing Erin again on the date she passed away, makes me take something like that as a sign and go on. Experiences like those make me want to go on with whatever I am doing. Be it just using words.
May be someone somewhere will benefit through my words here. I have to write for that person.
Last night on Oprah, I again saw another remarkable woman who battled this disease and lost. Erin Kramp was 36 when she passed away. She left behind hundreds of tapes in which she spoke to her then six-year-old daughter. All the subjects she wanted to talk to her about, but wouldn’t be there in person to do. From how to wear make up to finding a husband, she spoke about everything she could think of.
Her daughter has grown up and was on the show talking about the tapes.
Only once during the tapes Erin was seen crying. In her last message, she spoke to everyone who supported her. She also said that she wants to be remembered. Live every moment in urgency, she said.
With this blog, I have my ups and downs. There are days when I wonder whether this is enough. There are days when I know I don’t have the courage to do more, so I stick to my words and use them to make people aware.
As in everything, awareness is the key to the fight. If one is aware, one is prepared for the battle.
I still dread the reactions I get when I wear the pink ribbon through October. I always I assume there is so much being written and talked about through the media about breast cancer, that people know about it. And every year I am proved wrong with the reactions to the pink ribbon. That’s when I know many people still have to be made aware.
On the surface it looks simple. I just have to blog. But to me it’s not just a post each time. To me it’s reliving many painful moments even if it’s something like choosing a subject. It’s painful and scary to continue to read about cancer, especially breast cancer. All day yesterday I thought about my sister. None of my friends remember the date. I didn’t talk to anyone about her. But then, seeing Erin again on the date she passed away, makes me take something like that as a sign and go on. Experiences like those make me want to go on with whatever I am doing. Be it just using words.
May be someone somewhere will benefit through my words here. I have to write for that person.
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