CDC Partner Spotlight: Gulf States Young Breast Cancer Survivor Network

This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Bring Your Brave shines a spotlight on some of the amazing work of our partners. Meet Karen Meneses, PhD, RN, FAAN, Director of SurviveAL – Gulf States Young Breast Cancer Survivor Network.

Tell us about your organization and its mission or area of focus.

SurviveAL offers online support and resources to young women. SurviveAL is a partner of the Gulf States Young Breast Cancer Survivor Network of Louisiana (SurviveDAT) and Mississippi (SurviveMISS). Resources like SurviveAL provide answers to everyday questions that young survivors and their families face. The website enables young women to find a range of topics from health advice and the latest news on breast cancer to where to find a makeup artist skilled in recreating eyebrows lost to chemotherapy.

Who can benefit from reaching out to your organization?

Young breast cancer survivors, family members, caregivers, and providers can benefit from reaching out to SurviveAL.

What is your organization working on right now that you are most excited about?

SurviveAL’s new website provides information and resources geared to young breast cancer survivors, who often face issues that older women with the disease do not, including fertility decisions that need to be addressed before starting treatment, genetic factors, more serious types of the disease, and family, career, and financial implications. The website addresses these issues while providing support and links to national and local resources that young women need and want.

What is your most important advice to women this Breast Cancer Awareness Month?

Don’t isolate yourself as a young woman facing breast cancer. Many programs offer support, information on common issues for young women, and social networks (online and face-to-face).