Breast Cancer Organizations

There are many different Breast Cancer organisations in New Zealand. The largest is the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation which does a lot of work around education and awareness. All the organisations try to work together and there is overlap of funding. For example NZBCF helps fund Sweet Louise (for women with metastatic disease), Pink Pilates and Encore programs (exercise programs for women recovering from surgery and chemotherapy treatment. There is Breast Cancer Support that provides local suppor groups for women with Breast Cancer. I am involved with, and on the committee of, Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition who has many member groups, including those mentioned and we take on a more pro-active, advocacy type role. There are also organisations such as the Breast Cancer Research Trust which concentrate on raising money to help fund research.

We are very lucky to have the Sweet Louise organisation here in New Zealand. It was founded by the Louise Perkins Foundation in memory of Louise,a young woman who died of metastatic breast cancer after a long illness. The foundation was founded to support other women going through similar circumstances.
Some of the support services it provides are a private closed online forum for members to talk to each other, monthly meetings in 3 of our main cities and support co-ordinators that can help woman in a variety of ways. There is also a voucher system that gives each women a certain amount of vouchers to spend every 6 months on services to help them. They may be used on a variety of services such as home handyman work around the house, complementary therapies or pampering as a special treat.
The opportunity to meet with other women dealing with the same issues of metastatic disease is invaluable, and recently we banded together to contribute to a book of short stories and poems about what it was like living with secondary breast cancer. This has been published under the title 'Oysters for Lunch' and is available from the Sweet Louise website.
Sweet Louise has been a great support to me in dealing with ongoing treatment, the support from both the organisation itself and the other women with metastatic disease who are members is wonderful and I am very grateful for it