Support the HBOC community through the gift of knowledge

Transcription

1 Support the HBOC community through the gift of knowledge

2 I was one of the scholarship recipients for the 2015 conference. I just wanted to say thank you so much for the opportunity to attend. It was my first conference and life changing for me. I was diagnosed at 23 and I am BRCA2+ and this is the best conference I have attended post cancer diagnosis. I learned so much and met some amazing women. - Sarah Geis

3 I was 33, unmarried, and childless when I tested positive for the BRCA mutation. My appointment to hear my results was in the same medical complex where my sister was recovering from bilateral mastectomy. Despite seeing the effects of cancer up close, I wasn't fully convinced of its power. Without the generosity of donors to the conference scholarship fund, I wouldn't have been able to attend. At the time, I didn't earn enough to travel to the Joining FORCE conference, I was fortunate to be awarded a scholarship. It was the conference that motivated me to collect the information that I needed to consider my options. During that amazing weekend I attended presentations by top researchers on all aspects of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. I gained courage from all the other people at the conference trying to make sense of what to do with their hereditary knowledge. What I gained at the conference was a valuable, even life-saving experience that I will never forget. - Grace T

4 500 Scholarships in 5 years 250,000 Lives impacted* *200 of our scholarships have been given directly to volunteers that go back to their communities and through support meetings, media interviews and events share the information they learned with their local community.

5 Words cannot express just how grateful I am to FORCE and the generous donors to the scholarship fund for giving me and my sisters the opportunity to attend such a wonderful and educational conference. Until the conference my sisters never accepted my diagnose of breast cancer or the possibility of a hereditary link to my diagnosis. Through attending the conference my sisters now better understand their own risk factors. I am a survivor of stage IV breast cancer and I live in a predominantly African-American, low income neighborhood. It is often hard for women here to get access to proper care and information. I have shared the information that I learned at the conference with other high-risk members in my local community. I thank FORCE for providing my family with the information and loving support that has led them to open their eyes and confront the cancer risk in our family and for providing me with the opportunity to give back to my community by sharing the life-saving information that I learned at the Joining FORCEs Conference. - Martha Haley

6 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and a BRCA2 mutation at the age of 28. When I found out about the research and support that FORCE offers, I knew I had to connect with them. Attending the conference was like something out a dream -speakers and topics tailored to my specific health needs. I was in awe of the attention to detail that went into choosing the session topics and I felt star-struck by the amazing doctors and professionals that were there to speak. After attending the conference, I felt empowered, confident, and hopeful. - Anne Embrey

7 Scholarship Gift Fund: $5,000 Impact Acknowledgement Your gift of $5,000 will bring between 5-10 people (depending on travel costs) to the conference and provide them with life changing information. Listing in our mobile conference app Company name and logo (if applicable) at our general session Dedicated conference honor roll sign of scholarship donors Inclusion in all scholarship communications If possible (and desired), every effort will be made to have you meet your recipients at the conference. Your gift of $5,000 is most appreciated but a gift at ANY level will help us toward our goal of 75 scholarships for 2016.

8 Attending the FORCE conference not only provides an opportunity to learn about the latest research pertinent to the HBOC community and engage with the experts who are conducting the studies, but also gives us a chance to meet new people, reconnect with old friends, share our stories and experiences, and support one another along the way. I'm proud to be part of this amazing community, and grateful to be able to attend the conference each year." - Jane Herman, FORCE Peer Support Group Leader, New York City

9 I a$ended my first Joining FORCEs Conference in June It was amazing. To be surrounded by over 700 individuals who knew exactly what I was feeling and what I had gone through was the most surreal and uplijing experience.