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Report: Young Survivors Coalition - Lexie Warren of Missabitatitti
Fellow Missabittatitti paddler, Corina Bradley, and I were recently granted scholarships, courtesy of American Breast Cancer groups, Young Survivors Coalition ( www.youngsurvival.org) and Living with Breast Cancer ( www.lbbc.org) to attend the 6th Annual Conference for Younger Women Affected by Breast Cancer held in Denver, Colorado, USA in late February 2006.
Corina, Andrea of Hope Afloat and Lexie
More than 800 delegates from around the World attended the Conference, the only international Conference specifically addressing the needs and issues of Younger Women affected by Breast Cancer. Delegates attended from as far afield as Australia; Africa including Kenya, Zambia and Nigeria; Iceland; Argentina; Canada and England, as well as from across 48 out of the 51 States of the USA. Many thanks to YSC and LBBC for the wonderful opportunity to learn more about what is happening on an international level in the arena of Breast Cancer in Younger Women and to meet other young Survivors from around the world. The six Australians, including Corina and myself, also got special mention for travelling so far to attend the Conference.
The Conference plenary sessions addressed medical advances in Breast Cancer in Younger Women and workshops covered a diverse range of topics including advocacy and pyscho-social issues such as relationships, diet and nutrition, exercise, dealing with and relating to children, dating and intimacy issues, complimentary therapies, genetic testing, clinical trials and a broad range of issues concerning advanced disease. There was also a stream of workshops specifically for caregivers, partners and supporters, as well as a number of networking opportunities at receptions and the Saturday Night Dinner Function.
There were many exhibitors at the Conference, providing delegates with lots of information about services and support across North America, including DAA’s very good friends, Amazon Heart. Megan, one of the founders of AH, and some of the AH riders during October 2004 and 2005, including the Sydney to Noosa ride in October 2005, were on hand to speak to other young survivors about the many great programs, opportunities and challenges which AH offers to young survivors. As many of you will know, the proceeds raised by the AH activities in Australia go to benefit DAA so we are all very grateful for the support. AH also allowed us to have our DAA brochures promoting the 2007 World Regatta on display at the AH exhibit table at the Conference and the information was well considered by many at the Conference.
Megan of Amazon Heart, Corina, Lexie Warren of Missabitattiti and Cathy of Amazon Heart
Wearing our DAA shirts sporting the “Dragons Abreast Australia Promoting Breast Cancer Awareness”, Corina and I attracted a lot of interest at the Conference as we were approached by many other delegates to speak to us about our shirts, DAA and dragon boating for Breast Cancer, plus we were also spotted by some other paddlers at the Conference, including Andrea Reiss of Philadelphia’s Hope Afloat. Dragon Boating for Breast Cancer is not as well known in the USA as in Canada or Australia but during the Conference, we spoke with many others about the benefits of Dragon Boating and the camaraderie in our teams. We hope that we may have planted the seed with other young survivors to return to their local communities and perhaps set up their own teams in their local area so that other Breast Cancer Survivors might also be able to experience the magic of Dragon Boating with BC survivors and supporters.
Prior to the Conference, we also had the opportunity to visit some of my friends in Winnipeg, Manitoba , Canada . While in town, we visited the Cancer Care Manitoba's Breast Cancer Centre of Hope’ and the ‘Younger and Wiser” education program for younger women and were welcomed as special guests from Australia. The session was on new techniques in breast reconstruction currently developing in North America and which are not yet undertaken in Australia as far as I can ascertain from enquiries with the BCNA. Many thanks to Betty Schimke of CCM for allowing us to visit the Y&W group. Again people approached us to speak to us about our DAA shirts, including one of our sister paddlers from Chemo Savvy, Winnipeg’s Breast Cancer team. Jean embraced both Corina and I with a very hearty, “Welcome Dragons Abreast!”!
A highlight of the trip to Winnipeg was the opportunity to visit and train at a gym session with the ladies of Winnipeg's Breast Cancer Dragon Boat team, Chemo Savvy. Although it was snow and 20 below zero the night we visited CS, we were warmly welcomed at CS. We also took the opportunity to spread word of the 2007 World Regatta hosted by DAA at Lake Kawana, Qld. Many CS ladies excitedly told us that they had met some of Missabittatitti and other DAA ladies at the ABIA’s 10th anniversary celebrations in Vancouver in June 2005 and that they were planning to visit Australia in September 2007.
I would encourage any DAA ladies thinking of travelling overseas, or in Australia , to look into whether there is a local BC team where they will be visiting and to contact them to arrange a visit so that they can meet our sister paddlers. We BC paddlers share a special bond and it was very enjoyable to visit a team so far from home and be welcomed!
For Corina, the trip was also special as it was her first overseas trip, an opportunity brought about because of her experience with Breast Cancer.
Lexie Warren
Missabittatitti
Brisbane
