breast cancer Archives - Over The Top Mommy

Last week, when I was at “My Mall” grabbing a couple of things, I noticed the annual Think Pink Breast Health Wall of Honor was up, near the escalators. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Mission Hospital’s Valiant Women support group is hosting the 12th annual Think Pink Breast Health Wall of Honor, presented by Infiniti of Mission Viejo, at The Shops at Mission Viejo.

Now through October 31, the Breast Health Wall of Honor will be displayed in Center Court (lower level) of The Shops at Mission Viejo. Shoppers have the opportunity to donate $25 and place a hand-written card on the wall display in honor of a loved one or in remembrance of someone with breast cancer. Donations can also be made to underwrite the cost of a mammogram or diagnostic procedure ($100) for someone who could not otherwise afford it.

After taking some time to read through some of the literature, that’s free to take, at the tables and admiring all of the names on the Breast Health Wall of Honor, I really enjoyed getting to chat with the two sweet ladies who were volunteering at the table that day. Meeting them and hearing about all that they do to help this wonderful organization raise money, was so inspirational. Volunteers really do make the world go ’round!

One-hundred percent of the proceeds benefit Mission Breast Health Services. That is the part I really like. The money they’re raising is all going towards the cause and helping those in need. Mission Breast Health Services is dedicated to providing women with preventive measures as well as offering a complete breast health program to diagnose and treat breast cancer with expertise, compassion and support. By involving medical professionals, survivors, family and friends, Mission takes a team approach to fighting breast cancer. Due to the generosity of the community, last year the event raised net proceeds of nearly $50,000 and was able to provide over 13,000 screening mammograms to under or uninsured women in our community.

I encourage you to stop by The Shops at Mission Viejo Breast Health Wall of Honor display. It’s a beautiful display. You can also make a donation there or find out other ways to donate. We can all do something to help, even if it’s just something small.

To make a donation to the Wall of Honor, click here. More details are available here.

Visit The Shops at Mission Viejo on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

I love Instagram. I love posting pics, I love interacting with others, and I love seeing the variety of pictures that people share. I love seeing pictures of families and fitness and crafts people have made and DISNEY and recipes….etc. Every once in a great while there are pictures that you scroll by and then scroll back to….sometimes several times. You don’t necessarily know the person but then suddenly you almost feel like you want to know them or at least more about them. Today I felt that way about a picture I came across. I have been following this adorable young girl (I’m guessing she’s in her 20s) for just a short while. She is in the fight of her life because she’s battling breast cancer! I don’t know her real name, I don’t know where she lives, I post supportive comments, but the fact that she’s on Instagram, not only sharing pictures of everything she’s going through, but also her thoughts about the cancer is both brave and extremely enlightening for the rest of the world to see! Today I started crying though when I read what she posted with her picture. It was a letter, actually it seemed more like a total PLEA to her cancer. I cried when I read it and then I commented something on her picture and then I read it again.

Here’s the picture she posted:

Here’s what she wrote:

“What’s on my mind this morning: my eyelashes. Cancer you’ve taken my hair, my boobs, my periods, you can take my eyebrows, my toenails, whatever, just please don’t take my eyelashes. Pretty please. I’ll buy you some ice cream or a cold pop. But ain’t nobody got time for that, leave the eyelashes. Thank you! Sincerely yours: The girl who’s going to kick your ass!”

I’ve been thinking about it all day. I feel like I want to know her name. I feel like I want to know her. I know I can’t help her much, but even if I can just encourage her and pray for her, I know it’s something. Some people think it’s silly to exert any of your energy on complete strangers. I don’t. Some people don’t quite get the power of social media and how it connects strangers sometimes. I’m guessing that the positive support she gets from her Instagram followers actually helps her get through some tough times, like her rounds of chemo.

Luckily, I am a great investigator and I was able to find her and ask for her permission to share. If you’d like to follow this sweet, adorable chick too, just go and look up @screamqueen13 on Instagram!