Girl Scouts Take On Breast Cancer—for Themselves, Their Mothers, and Girls Everywhere

October 1, 2004

By Carole Wehberg, staff writer

	Juliette Low, Girl Scout Founder, in 1924. She succumbed to breast cancer in 1927.

Girl Scout troop 621 of the Abnaki Girl Scout council in Raymond, Maine, has just finished making two dozen pillows for cancer patients. Sixth grade Girl Scout Molly decorated hers with the word "sugar" because she loves cooking. "I hope you feel better," she wrote in the accompanying note. It was a heartfelt message based on her own personal experience. Her mother and troop leader, Jeri, was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago.

Shared Experiences

Many daughters can now count among their childhood memories the experience of having a mother or another family member suffer with breast cancer. And, like so many other serious illnesses, breast cancer affects not only the patient, but the patient's family as well. Girl Scouts are no exception. In fact, Juliette Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouts of the USA, died from breast cancer at a time when the words "breast" and "cancer" were not spoken in "polite company." Now, the newest generation of the organization she founded is becoming more and more involved in raising awareness to help girls and women cope with its impact on their families and on their own health as well.

Health Focus across the Country

In Phoenix, Arizona, Girl Scouts developed "In the Pink"—a breast cancer awareness project that has girls perform seven activities that educate them about the causes, detection, treatment, and prevention of the disease. They were inspired by the Girl Scout Gold Award project of a young woman named Jillian Flaherty Horwitz from Houston, Texas. And this past year, Jillian, of Girl Scout council of the Nation's Capitol, inspired many girls when she was honored as a Girl Scout Gold Award Young Woman of Distinction for her project on "A Teenage Daughter's Reflections on Breast Cancer."

Jillian's book of letters and emails chronicled her mother's struggle with the disease. Her experience began when she learned how to perform a self-examination at her Girl Scout troop meeting. She went home and showed her mother who, by following the instructions Jillian had just learned at her meeting, found a lump. She saw her doctor and was diagnosed with breast cancer early enough to be treated successfully. Both mother and daughter have used the book to educate teens on the importance of self-examination and early detection.

Education and Action

In New Jersey this month, the Girl Scout council of Bergen County is sponsoring a 5K run/walk to promote breast cancer awareness on Sunday, October 24, 2004. The event also includes a health fair and a program, also called "In the Pink," that they hope will mobilize their membership of over 13,500 girls to encourage all girls (and their mothers) in "Making Healthy Choices"—the theme of the event.

"Healthy living is a big part of Girl Scouting," said Nina Boggia, Director of Communications for the council. "We want to raise awareness about girls' health, so we're also partnering with local hospitals and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to promote cancer education." The event takes place from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Meadowlands Environment Center in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. For more information, visit www.bergen.org/gscobc/5krunwalk.html.

Spreading the Word

Whether they run, walk, teach, or talk, Girl Scouts are spreading the word about breast cancer awareness. Molly's pillows did more than just comfort others; they comforted Molly, too. She was able to put into words some of the things she felt when her mother was sick and she remembers how her friends supported her when she was feeling stressed out. Molly's mother says, "I feel fine now, and very, very fortunate. This is a great group of girls that came up with really inspirational messages."

For more information on how Girl Scouts are making both girls and their parents more knowledgeable and better able to communicate about breast cancer, contact your local council.