Be the Ray of Hope for Breast Cancer Survivors This October

If you are, consider this a gentle reminder: we’re already past the middle of October, and time is running out to make a real difference in the lives of women in need.

Launched in 2011, the Power of Pink campaign, a partnership between Reach for Recovery (R4R) and the South African Mushroom Farmers’ Association (SAMFA), was created with one purpose: to provide free silicone prostheses to breast cancer survivors who cannot afford reconstruction after the life-altering reality of a mastectomy.

To date, the initiative has resulted in just under 8,000 silicone prostheses provided to financially strapped breast cancer survivors, at a cost of more than R5.5 million. Each prosthesis restores not just physical wholeness, but dignity, confidence, and self-esteem.

Breast cancer survivor Cherry Hart says the Power of Pink campaign is remarkable:

“The money raised from this campaign allows us to purchase external silicone breast prostheses for people who can’t afford them privately. The joy on a woman’s face when she looks in the mirror and sees her new image — she feels whole again. Lots of tears of joy are shed by both recipient and fitter, followed by laughter and occasional dancing. It is a joyous moment for all present.”

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• Power of Pink How Mushrooms Are Uplifting Breast Cancer Survivors
• Coping Holistically with Breast Cancer Surgery

Stephné Jacobs, diagnosed with breast cancer 21 years ago, has walked this journey with R4R for 19 years. She explains the origin of the mushroom campaign:

“In 2010, research suggested that women who eat 10 grams of mushrooms every day seemed to halve their risk of breast cancer. While this research was certainly a ray of hope, it was the concept of ‘Ubuntu’ — standing together — that transformed that hope into action. Leaders from SAMFA came together with diverse resources to form a solution that ensures silicone prostheses for uninsured women who had survived breast cancer, empowering them to regain their self-esteem, dignity, and confidence after a mastectomy.”

Stephné adds that silicone breasts cost over R3,000 in the open market, yet through the campaign they have been able to distribute 6,523 prostheses to women across South Africa who could not afford them.

You can also make a difference in someone’s life this October. By purchasing fresh mushrooms in pink punnets at Pick n Pay stores until the end of October, R1 from every punnet goes directly to Reach for Recovery, helping fund prostheses and support services for breast cancer survivors nationwide.

 Be the reason a survivor smiles again. Stand together in the spirit of Ubuntu this October.