Day 25 of 25 Memories -- A Countdown to Our 25th Anniversary Gala by Dorothy Gibbons

I’ve been blogging for 25 days, and I could probably do so for many more. You’ll just have to wait for the book! But to mark our last day, I wanted to give a glimpse of what some of those other stories would look like:




1. When we started The Rose breast cancer incidence rate and lifetime risk of being diagnosed was one in 13, now it is one in 8.
2. “You knew it was a snake when you picked it up.” One of Dixie’s most famous lines and unfortunately it did apply to those (very few) folks who wanted to use The Rose for their own purposes. When you are working to stay ‘on mission’ there will always be someone trying to pull you off of it.


3. “Dorothy I need a Cow Boop!” A cow what? Yes that was one of the tasks given to me by one of our former docs. Resourceful we are, especially when you have Cousin Brad who found a Cow Boop!


4. “It’s always a matter of money.” From keeping the doors open to treatment options for uninsured women, it comes down to money and funds. In fact, there was a time when the saying was, “a woman’s prognosis depends on how good her insurance is and how much money she has in the bank.” Thank goodness, The Rose has created an option for the uninsured.


5. When Rose Kushner found a lump in her breast, back in 1979, she was told by her surgeon that is was probably ‘nothing’ and if by chance it was, then he’d tell her husband Harvey and go ahead and do her mastectomy. Rose’s response was too graphic for our blog. It took her visiting 16 surgeons before she found one who would wake her up and let her make the decision. Hence the birth -- due to Rose’s advocacy -- of legislation and protocols that require the “two stage procedure” and “informed consent.”


6. Nothing is EVER off the record. In those early days we counted on local newspaper reporter, Clara Clay to tell the story of breast cancer and early detection. She would spend time with Dixie, meticulously recording facts and figures, listening to Dixie recite the steps of breast self exam and nuances of mammograms. One day Clara turned off the recorder and posited a simple question. “You are so passionate about this Dr. Dixie. What made you want to be a doctor?” she asked. Dixie thinking every thing was “off the record” (obviously I wasn’t present during this interview) started talking and Clara spent another hour with her, never taking a note. The next day, the headlines of the Pasadena Citizen read “Local Surgeon Overcomes Rough Beginnings as a High School Drop-Out.”


7. Gynecologist, Dr. White covered the $25 for Dixie to take the Med Cat exam after doing her pelvic exam and learning Dixie had a 3.9 GPA and was hoping to become a Lab Tech.


8. “None of us knows how long we have on this earth. The only thing we do have is right now, right here and each other. Breast cancer patients have taught me that I need to appreciate every sunrise and every sunset.” Another Dixie-ism. "Hugs are good for the immune system.” It's true! There is clinical proof that touching is healing.


9. Women are smart. They know what they need to do but taking care of everyone else gets in the way more often than not.


10. Educating women is good. Empowering women starts by making sure there is access to care.


11. Rose Employees are always a huge part of the success of every fundraising event and especially the Shrimp Boil. The create baskets for the Raffle, huge baskets filled with all kinds of great gifts, the bake cookies and cakes for the dessert table and the come out in mass to volunteer throughout the day. They are the best!!


12. National studies confirm that being part of a Support Group extends life.


13. Soft spoken and a true southern lady, Diana was our second paid support staff. She survived stage 4 cancer because she heard Dixie on the radio saying “if anyone tells you that lump is a cyst—just by feeling it—you need another doctor.” Diane made every patient feel like there was nothing more important in the world than for her to visit with them and tend to their immediate needs at that very moment.
14. One of the saddest cases was the 63 year old, whose husband had divorced her taking with him the insurance. It was all she could do to find any kind of work at that age and she was banking on staying healthy until she was 65. The lump in her breast put a crimp in that idea. Did we ultimately help her get coverage through Medicaid/Medicare? Yes. It took over 13 months of processing paperwork.


15. In Texas, 59% of the businesses are small businesses which usually do not offer group health insurance. In 79% of the families we serve, at least one person is working, sometimes at two or more jobs. “Working poor” is a true statement.


16. In the early years, volunteers made fabric capes (as opposed to disposable gowns) for our patients to wear. We’d carry the ‘used ones’ home each night to wash, until someone donated a washer dryer set to each center. We wanted each patient to feel comfortable. We also hated that the mammogram plate was always cold so we bought a big “kitty Kat” warmer to place on the ‘buckee’ (plate) between patients. It sounded like a good idea to us but didn’t work.


17. Nancy Brinker, founder of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, showered us with more than one story of ‘real class.”


18. In the first decade, everyone who became an employee had already volunteered in some large or small fashion.


19. Then there the time we were at another breast cancer conference when Dixie, during a reception, started debating with this guy who spoke -- with such a pleasant Swedish accent-- about the superiority of zero-mammography over film screen. He let her talk ‘on and on.’ The next day, as she sat on the front row, she came face-to-face with her ‘debate partner” --internationally famous mammographer, Lazlo Tabar, M.D. who called on the “surgeon” for her opinion throughout the rest of the conference.


20. Women under the age of 40 account for 20% of all the breast cancers we diagnose each year.


21. “We only have one limitation: the one we put on ourselves.” This is the motto of a high school drop out who couldn’t even get a job at the Five and Dime and became a ‘world famous’ surgeon--Dixie.


22. Writing grant proposals is an art in itself. Getting them done by the deadline is a constant challenge when your staff is small and doing many tasks. I’ll never forget the day, long ago, when we finally finished writing our largest request for $100,000. All was ready to go except the 20 copies of the 40-page document. I walked into the office to find the parts of the copy machine strewn about on the floor, a repairman grumbling with his head in the inner workings, hundreds of papers lined up on a table and my grant writer in tears. Somehow the guy resurrected that old machine (another donated item) and got it to print the final copy. “Oh, Dorothy, don’t worry so,” my grant writer said. “It will be fine. I’ll send it Federal Express. I would have gotten in the car and driven it to San Antonio if I had to.”


“It’s supposed to be going to Austin, Verlyn!” I groaned.


(Just another day in the life of the ol’ Bailey’s Savings and Loan.)


23. Running the Rose was a bit like being Colonel Potter in the MASH series. Breast cancer is a ‘war’ that no one volunteers to be in; finding help for the uninsured another war that shouldn’t be. From iconic physicians to a whole bunch of Radars, it takes a lot of skill from a lot of different folks to move a woman from diagnosis to treatment and recovery. We do it every day, one woman at a time.


24. Remembering the day we were trying to get an uninsured woman into treatment and her phone was cut off because she hadn’t paid her bill. Our patient navigator called (then) SW Bell and ‘reasoned’ with the supervisor (after going through several folks) and finally got it turned back on…just in time.


25. We celebrate a lot, birthdays, service awards, finding another service for our women. When donations come in, we walk the halls ringing the bell (yes it is an actual bell) and sharing the good news with patients, physicians, volunteers and employees.




BONUS: We maintain a prayer list and more than one ‘outside’ person has called me to ask for a name to be put on it.


Our next Twenty Five Years are ahead. Who knows what lies ahead? A cure for breast cancer? True health plans for everyone? Perhaps The Rose nationwide?

We are so thankful to the many folks who have been on this journey with us and who will be with us in the years to come.

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."


This memory is one of 25 short stories written by Dorothy Gibbons, the Co-founder and CEO of The Rose, a nonprofit breast cancer organization. She and Dr. Dixie Melillo received the 501C3 documents for The Rose in 1986. A memory will be shared daily, culminating with number 25 on the day The Rose celebrates its 25th anniversary November 10.










© 2011 Dorothy Gibbons. All rights reserved.

Deserving of Recognition (continued) - Day 24 of 25 Memories -- A Countdown to Our 25th Anniversary Gala by Dorothy Gibbons

More on those we’ll be honoring at our 25^th Anniversary Silver Rose Gala, November 10.
 
Since her voice is known all across Texas and much of the nation as well, Connie Yates often gets teased about her southern accent, but I know that behind that southern charm is a woman whose determination has moved mountains, especially when it comes to being a champion for The Rose.  As Director of Public Affairs and Governmental Relations for Randalls Food Markets Connie’s remarkable in-store announcements and radio spots are unmistakable, her enthusiasm bringing life to her message.

When face-to-face with Connie, her passion is evident. Her bright demeanor is dimmed only when talking about her sister who lost her battle with breast cancer two years ago. Maybe it was seeing and knowing what her sister went through after the diagnosis that motivated Connie to be such a champion but somehow I think her unstoppable efforts to increase awareness and funds runs even deeper.

Connie’s most recent foray in support of The Rose involved convincing Channel 2 to team up with Randalls by producing breast cancer awareness public service announcement spots aired at all Randalls stores and featuring the incredibly beautiful and well known anchor Dominque Sachse.  Admittedly, Channel 2 (KPRC) is an old friend also, so maybe it didn’t take a lot of convincing but even so, Connie isn’t someone you can easily say no to.   

She is a stunning lady, always perfectly dressed and her flashing, deep set steel blue eyes demand your fullest attention. Her gorgeous hair belies her youth and energy.  She’s easy to spot in any crowd and in crowds is usually where I’ve found her.  

Randalls events at the different stores -- bake sales, the raffles and the times the managers served breakfast in tuxedoes and long dresses to the staff as another way to raise money in October -- are fond memories for me.  Randalls’ giving involves everyone: employees, managers, vendors and most importantly customers. I couldn’t be any prouder than when I walk through a Randalls and see aisles all decked out in pink balloons and staff sporting pink ribbons.  I marvel at the way cashiers encourage customers to add another dollar or two to their purchases because it is such a good cause.

Randalls has been a supporter of The Rose since 1992 and after nearly two decades they have helped with virtually every service area, from funding our Young  Women’s Services to helping to purchase our first mobile mammography unit in 2006, a service that covers 14 counties and one Randalls has continued to support year after year. Whenever we have guests at The Rose and I tour them through the Randalls Resource and Conference Center, a huge area that has hosted hundreds of educational and fundraising events, I explain that those dollars they are asked to donate in October at Randalls  stores made that area possible.  Seeing the Conference Center or the Mobile Unit brings it all home for Randalls Good Neighbor Program.

Each fall, at the 34 Houston-area Randalls  stores, customers and employees Scan-A-Dollar for breast cancer.  Connie explains, “We say ‘One dollar many times makes many dollars.’” To date, that has totaled $1.5 million.  I’m not sure how she’s done it year in and year out, but I suspect it has been Connie’s influence that has kept those fundraising dollars close to home serving not just The Rose but other breast cancer organizations. 

Some of the best Randalls/Rose moments are the times Dawne Profitt, Randalls Public Affairs and Governmental Relations Manager, would call and leave a message saying, “We have our total amount of our gift to The Rose.”  She would never tell me the amount in the message and after  hours tracking her down, I would learn again of their remarkable gift.  I think Dawne likes to hear me scream.   Dawne and Connie are such a team, a dream team, when it comes to partnering for The Rose.

Making Every Day Matter …

Some folks are supporters long before you even know them and as I go through 25 years of scrapbooks, pictures of one couple keep showing up: Bob and Elaine Domec followed closely behind by Corkey and Debbie Turner.  Be it a Soroptimist event or a Yoga fundraiser, one of those four would show up, sometimes all of them together.

Bob became a member of our Board in 2003 and in 2005 he brought Corkey to the table.  I knew right away putting those two together had to spell trouble since keeping them in line during board meetings was hard enough.  Bob, who abhors wearing socks and hates to dress up (ties do not appear in his wardrobe) has a quick wit and never misses a chance to use it.  Granted Corkey is the quiet one, (conservative in dress, he does wear socks and ties!) but then every comedy act has to have a straight man.

When it came to breast cancer however both were serious.  Bob’s daughter had battled the disease and he had lost a niece to it; both women were way too young to face such ordeals.  Corkey retells the day Debbie thought she had found something and how upset and worried she was.  Thankfully her results were benign but the agony she experienced was a memory he will never forget.  So both these men, these incredibly wonderful men, bring a deep sense of purpose to their work with The Rose.

I remember the meeting they brought up a new fundraising idea.  Boy, did we need new ideas as we were in another one of those especially difficult years,  watching every dollar.  (Actually most of our years are like this but this one was tougher than usual.)

Bob and Corkey are Casa Olé franchisees and they proposed getting as many  restaurants as possible to take one day out of every week in October and give 10% of the stores’ sales to The Rose.  I didn’t really think it would fly—lots of restaurants offer to support this or that charity with portions of the profits but nobody donates 10% of sales—that was huge!

They were committed, even if it was just their stores, they intended to do it.  So we needed a campaign, and we needed to brand it.  Enter our ace communications person (at that time) Maggie Phillips and after lots of brainstorming we came up with “Make Tuesdays Matter.”  And, matter they did.  Bob and Corkey even convinced the Mexican Restaurants Inc. to include their Casa Olé Restaurants which were managed company stores.

It helped that Larry Forehand founder of Casa Olé, who had opened the first restaurant in Pasadena 35 years ago, was also an old friend and supporter of The Rose.

The campaign began and every Tuesday Casa Olés around Harris County and beyond, from Pasadena to Hwy 290 and into Baytown and Conroe, decorated in pink and joined in.   Imagine seeing Make Tuesdays Matter signs on every table at the restaurants, with information about breast cancer symptoms and the importance of early detection displayed.  Make Tuesdays Matter banners lined the walls and migrated to other businesses and the city joined in.  Over the years, other money-making efforts were added, one year Corkey raised $7,000 selling Pink Ribbons which lined the walls with names of survivors or loved ones who had lost their battle.  Local businesses reserved Tuesdays as a special employee “day out” for lunch, and regular customers changed their day to Tuesday. One very special man gave a little extra each visit to sweeten the pot.

Year after year, they came up with different ways to promote Make Tuesdays Matter, maintaining the program through the toughest economic times and to date Casa Ole has raised more than $126,000!  Astounding!

Another difference made by people who care.  We treasure Bob and Corkey more than they can ever imagine. 

And we send our heartfelt thanks to all of the participating Casa Olé restaurants:  7750 Spencer Hwy., Pasadena; 1520 E. Southmore, Pasadena; 2726 Spencer, Pasadena; 3121 Palmer Highway, Texas City; 20131 Highway 59 North, Humble; 12350 Gulf Freeway, Houston; 2608 Highway 36 S., Brenham; 1020 Federal Road, Houston; 5920-A Highway 6 North, Houston; 12203 Murphy Road, Stafford; 11120 Northwest Freeway, Houston; 3100 East Broadway, Pearland; and 2010 Westview, Conroe.

This memory is one of 25 short stories written by Dorothy Gibbons, the Co-founder and CEO of The Rose, a nonprofit breast cancer organization. She and Dr. Dixie Melillo received the 501C3 documents for The Rose in 1986. A memory will be shared daily, culminating with number 25 on the day The Rose celebrates its 25th anniversary November 10.

© 2011 Dorothy Gibbons. All rights reserved.

Deserving of Recognition (continued) - Day 23 of 25 Memories -- A Countdown to Our 25th Anniversary Gala by Dorothy Gibbons

More on the individuals and entities we’ll be honoring at our 25^th Anniversary Silver Rose Gala, November 10.
I first heard about Alden Clark from our employee Cheryl Gallager.  She was our development associate assigned to major and corporate gifts and besides being an incredibly beautiful woman, she had the most gorgeous hair.  She talked about SoK and her hairdresser, Alden, with a touch of awe in her voice. Even when her schedule got too overbooked, she’d rather have the gray showing and wait until whenever he had an opening than let anyone else “touch her hair.”  The choice of gray over another stylist? Well … knowing Cheryl that was a huge endorsement.

Cheryl introduced Carol Wright our development director to Alden and suddenly Carol’s hair is looking pretty great also.  Those two starting talking to Alden and somewhere during that time these handcrafted, pink hair extensions started adorning the heads of women at our events. I still don’t know the exact process Alden’s staff uses, but I’ve heard the hair has to be dyed and then attached to the tiny clips that are then secured in a person’s locks.  Carol and her team would sport those pieces during many of our events, and Alden’s staff would come out and sell them for only $10 -- all of which went entirely to The Rose.  It didn’t take long before those sales started adding up and SoK became a pretty significant partner.   
 
I remember one hot, sticky Bikers Against Breast Cancer event. There was Alden’s team; setting up under a small tent, with their hair pieces, scissors and curling irons.  It was a pretty uncomfortable day but his team stayed in good spirits, patiently attaching piece after piece onto the heads of women that had just been wearing helmets. 

That’s when I dared Michelle Hanson’s  brother-in-law Charles to get one put in his beard—the primary amount of hair on this young man’s head -- and after a bit of cajoling he agreed.  What a hoot it was to see him preen with his over long, pink goatee. I finally had one put into my locks at the 2011 Shrimp Boil.  And I got another one on Pink Street during White Linen Night in the Heights. Did I mention the Alden’s SoK team comes to all our events?

I’ve heard the story about Alden’s third grade report card with the teacher’s note that his work would improve if he would stop braiding his friend’s hair.  Aren’t we glad he didn’t? He explains that even after 20 years and getting his masters and a PhD, he’s still doing what he loves -- making women feel beautiful.

I know for sure he has made a difference in the lives of the women who’ve gone to him, into their first or second round of chemotherapy and watching with horror as their hair falls out in handfuls. He has a special way of helping them through that time and shows them how to wear a wig with style.  Somehow knowing he’ll be the one to remake them once their hair grows back provides the hope they need to get through one more thing associated with breast cancer.

Last Christmas, Alden sent me a book that features the story about the circumstances surrounding his adoption of his son Travis – a story everyone should read.  You see, Travis would most likely have died without Alden helping his mother—a complete stranger to him.   And, if Alden had not taken Travis in, that child was destined to a life no one would wish on another human being.  Alden hates such talk, saying Travis was a gift to him, but we know a miracle when we see it.

I’m glad we’re honoring Alden at the gala because beyond the hairdresser, is the philanthropist and father, someone who cares and whose caring has truly made a difference in so many lives. 

And now for a few thoughts about KPRC …

For the Rose to have a professionally produced commercial in one year was a pretty big deal; for us to have two in as many years was “pert near a miracle.”  But then, around The Rose, we have come to expect miracles. From the beginning our relationship with KPRC has been nothing less than a miraculous adventure. 

It all started when John Mills, sales associate for KPRC, was traveling south on Loop 610, pondering over the loss of a major medical center sponsor for October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  That sponsor had held the October spot for years and virtually out of the blue they dropped it.  Another out of the blue event occurred when John, driving at maximum speed, happened to looked up and saw a sign…actually it was giant pink ribbon enveloping the words “The Rose” on a building.   John had never really heard of The Rose but there was no doubting what that pink ribbon meant so as soon as he landed back at the station he started calling.

We have to stop here so I can fill you in on the story of the sign (which deserves a whole chapter itself).  The long and short of it was that when we signed the lease on the space in Foundation Surgical Hospital for our second location (renamed from The Rose Joan Gordon Center to The Rose Galleria) our agreement included signage -- in fact, a sign with major placement on their building.  Little did we or the leasing folks know at the time of signing that Bellaire only allows one sign per building.  But thanks to the Board’s tenacious Tom Watson and his pal, our real estate agent, Marshall Clinkscale, a sign was installed.  Granted, it was placed on the garage immediately adjacent to the Foundation Medical Tower but a sign it was—and when lit at night, it was magnificent!  To have a Rose presence on loop 610, one of the busiest highways in Houston Texas was no small feat and to this day people comment about seeing our sign and marvel at how we’ve grown.

But back to the commercial.  John contacted Carol Wright, our development director and visits followed.  He was so taken with The Rose, he brought his boss out.  We all talked.  We shared the pictures of women who had late stage breast cancer, huge cancers that erupted through the skin and explained women still come to us in that bad of shape today.  Meeting followed meeting and before we knew it, we figured out a way to afford a commercial and air time.  We would trade printing three newsletters for the cost of the advertising on TV.  At least that is what we thought.

Before we knew it, we were introduced to the then General Manager and later to the next general manager.  The news production crew, led by Tracy Hatfield, got involved and soon October was filled with The Rose manning a phone bank nearly every day.  We pulled out all the stops and called upon friends and collaborators and covered the bank.  The best show was when 25 men arrived sporting pink T-shirts with the words “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” emblazoned across their chests.

We produced our first commercial, a good one, with friends and colleagues posing as patients. Our message was clear and the spot had some success in raising awareness.

October flew by and just as we were catching our breath, John came to us with another idea.  Seems there was a national promotion going on, their affiliate was bringing in one of the top names in commercial advertising, a genius known for creating branding with songs and jingles and tying them into commercials that had ten, fifteen, twenty year recognition levels.  In fact, we all knew of some of his work.  The deal was we would meet Otis, share with him what we hoped to achieve, and he would produce a commercial and a customized song “on the spot.”  The only hitch was we had to make the decision on the day of the visit. We were looking at a significant amount of money and a commitment not only to the commercial production but also a year-long schedule for airing it.

I didn’t like that idea.  The whole thing bothered me. The Rose doesn’t often make “instant” decisions especially when considering large sums of money.  I brought the concept to the Board, explaining the rules as they had laid them out.  I was surprised when Mryleen, our new Board Chair, said we needed to hear them out.  So board members, all with the authority to make that final decision, arrived at Hotel Za Za, prepared to listen and equally prepared to say no.

The meeting room was elegant to say the least.  Big overstuffed couches and chairs, rich browns and coppers splashed through fabrics and brought a subtle richness to the suite.  Every comfort had been anticipated for the afternoon meeting -- fresh juice,  spring water, great coffee, finger foods and great sweet treats.  Everyone was cordial, everything was inviting; until Otis, the star produce and our group started talking.

Otis began asking questions about The Rose.  His questions seemed harmless enough but with each response he drilled down to a new level. Bob, Corkey and Myrleen responded with our usual descriptions: The Rose was special.  The Rose save lives.  We were unique.  No one else did what The Rose did.  We served people no one else wanted. At one point, Bob said “If we could get you to come to The Rose you’d see why it is so different.”

What Otis did next caused the dam to burst.  He dismissed one explanation after another, finally saying everyone thought their company or organization was special and most places simply weren’t.  His words were just south of being placating, and my Taurus personality was getting more than riled.  The Bull is always ready to move from one side of the coral to the other until it is  backed into a corner, then it comes out raging.  Otis had done more than that, he had pushed until there was nowhere else to go. Then he started waving the red flag when he said The Rose just wasn’t a big deal!  

That was when the battle began. 

For the next thirty minutes, Otis and I fired insults and digs back and forth at each other.  He dismissed every statement I said and with every dismissal, I dug in deeper.  I made it pretty clear that we were the customers, and he made it equally clear the he was the expert and most importantly the artist.  He hammered away at me, challenging everything I said about The Rose and just as I was ready to walk out, he said, “I think I’m ready to create your commercial and your song.”

At that point, it didn’t matter.  He could jump out the window for all I cared.  I was ready to leave, said so, and started gathering my stuff.   The Board folks were also pretty annoyed but his people talked us down, promised us it would be worth the wait and literally begged us to let Otis “work his magic.”   We relented. Some of us visited the buffet, others walked out to the balcony.  I was still fuming.  Myrleen kept reminding me we had come this far, we might as well hear him out.

After about thirty minutes, Otis and his team returned.  They set up the background music and the vocalist moved behind a microphone.  No one said anything.  People were urged to gather around them.  I was moved up to the front, standing next to Myrleen.  I fidgeted, swaying from one foot to the other, I just wanted out of there.

Then the song began.  I was prepared to hate it with all my being, my jaw was locked, my shoulders scrunched up and tight, arms crossed over my chest.  The song continued, I tensed up even more when tears flooded my eyes.  “I refuse to let that arrogant man know I like it!” I swore to myself.  The verses continued, capturing everything I had said about The Rose and more.  They had fashioned my words into phrases that carried deep meaning with palpable passion.  My heart swelled in my chest, my throat was tight, I forced my face to remain neutral, but those darn tears started rolling down my checks.  

I could feel the glances from the Board members.  Myrleen looked at me, eyebrows raised. 

“It has some potential” I said.

We all laughed.  Actually, it was an amazing arrangement and did indeed capture the essence of The Rose.  The deal was struck. In a few weeks, we would see the first drafts of the commercial.  Otis had described its major components and how it would come together.

We started walking out of the room together.  Otis casually slipped an arm over my shoulder. Not expecting such an intimate gesture, I pulled back.  His laugh was gentle, and he  apologized for being so rough on me. He said he had to dig down to get past my “elevator speech” and into my passion if he had any hope of finding the right message for The Rose. 

Then he explained he was fighting his own battle with cancer.  This was a second go around for him.  His lovely wife joined us and shared some stories of his last few months.  She pulled me aside and with a knowing look assured me that Otis was already “in love” with The Rose and we would be incredibly pleased with his final product.

We were. The commercial was more rich, more effective, than anything we could have imagined. In fact, I’ve been at health fairs and meetings and had people come up to me and attempt to sing the jingle, “There’s a light in the window…”

Otis gave us another gift.  “I’ll make you a deal,” he said.  “Let me redo your logo.  However, you only get one chance at it.  I’ll send you several different designs but you have to pick one of them ‘cause I don’t have time to fool around with revisions.”

I agreed but when the mock-ups came, he had included a rose, the flower, within each offering.  At that time, we didn’t allow a rose to be part of our logo (every Tom, Dick and Steven who owned a breast imaging center used the flower with their name and long ago I had grown tired of people mistaking them for us.)  Since Otis said we only had one shot at it, I didn’t even bother to call him.

Weeks passed and one afternoon he called.  As always, his voice gruff, his words were direct, “You didn’t let me know how you liked the logo. “

“Otis, you said we only had one chance at this and your folks (I had learned some diplomacy) put a rose in every one of samples.   Remember when we all talked about the logo and I said we don’t use the flower with our name?”

After a long pause, he muttered: “Oh right, I forgot that.  Let me send you some different ones.” 

I smiled.

So our new logo was created replacing one that had served us well for more than a decade.  Now with a pink ribbon and our name, we had a new image to enter a new level of marketing.

During its October campaigns, KPRC created  incredible human interest stories that touch hearts and encourage women to take action.  In 2010, the station’s “31 Days of Breast Cancer” featured personal narratives from both male and female survivors, patients in treatment, and family members dealing with breast cancer or the loss of a loved one.  Following this coverage, demand for appointments flooded The Rose.  Most recently, KPRC created the videos for all our honorees that we will share during our 25^th Silver Rose Gala—professionally produced and edited, these segments are works of art that will tell our story extremely well and be treasured by each person featured and honored during our event.

From the beginning, KPRC has been more than a media source.  They have been a partner and have gone the extra mile over and over again to bring The Rose and its mission to an ever growing audience. John has been much more than our sales contact, talk about an ambassador, he’s one of the best!  

And it all started with a sign on a building.  

       

This memory is one of 25 short stories written by Dorothy Gibbons, the Co-founder and CEO of The Rose, a nonprofit breast cancer organization. She and Dr. Dixie Melillo received the 501C3 documents for The Rose in 1986. A memory will be shared daily, culminating with number 25 on the day The Rose celebrates its 25th anniversary November 10.

© 2011 Dorothy Gibbons. All rights reserved.

Deserving of Recognition -- Day 22 of 25 Memories -- A Countdown to Our 25th Anniversary Gala by Dorothy Gibbons

On November 10, when we host the first gala that The Rose has put on for The Rose, we’ll be honoring some pretty significant individuals. You’ve already read Vicky’s story. Over the next couple of days you’ll read the stories of others we intend to spotlight.

When Eileen Campbell walks through the door, people know someone important just entered the room. She exudes a level of confidence found in those folks who have rubbed shoulders with major decision makers.  Her focus, especially when it comes to anything to do with changing the face of breast cancer, is nothing less than razor sharp and penetrating.  When she is extracting answers to difficult questions, she drills until she finds the answers. She’s held some incredibly significant positions as a lobbyist and now as Vice President of Public Policy for Marathon Oil Corporation. Her scope of knowledge is vast and the breast cancer world has benefitted greatly as a result.

My encounters with Eileen have run the gamut.  I remember serving on the public policy committee for the Houston Affiliate Susan G. Komen for the Cure and meeting at Marathon. Eileen was in charge and agenda items were ticked off in record speed.  We had our assignments; now we needed to get out there and get it done.

For almost two decades, Eileen has championed public-private partnerships to raise awareness of breast cancer and reduce barriers to early detection and access to care. Her crusade began in the mid 90’s when she joined a Houston Affiliate of Susan G. Komen For the Cure® race to support a co-worker.  Over the years, her commitment grew, influenced both by her increased involvement with the Komen Houston Affiliate and her own experience with breast cancer.   She convinced Marathon to be a presenting sponsor for The Race for the Cure. (And since Houston Komen is The Rose’s largest funder, we’re truly grateful for that!)

Eileen and I have had other encounters -- awards luncheons, fundraising events -- but I did not get to see another side to her until she donated one of Kelly Gale Amen’s masterpiece benches to The Rose.  That’s when the woman who can quiet a room with a glance revealed herself to be a real “softy.”

Kelly’s benches are one-of-a-kind sculptured functional works of art. Eileen and husband Doug had purchased the bench at a Houston Komen Pink Tie Gala with the intent of giving it to The Rose.  We had the perfect spot for it in our lobby (which was always too bare) and we looked forward to the day we would host a reception for the dedication.  

Our event was intimate.  Folks from Houston Komen, Eileen and her family, Board members of The Rose, physicians and staff gathered in the Resource Center.  That was when I heard Eileen’s story.  I knew she had waged her own battle with breast cancer but her telling of that time brought yet another dimension to this dynamic woman.

“During my treatment, I realized how lucky I was to have the support of my family and employer,” she shared.  Like every survivor, she fought those very real worries about being around to see her daughters graduate and she gave examples of the many ways her family stood by her and supported her.  During her treatment she wasn’t VP of Marathon, she was another woman facing a battle she never expected yet determined to beat this crummy disease.  She spoke of hearing the stories of other women in the treatment room and even seeing one of our patient navigators by the side of a woman during chemotherapy.

Then she ended her speech, “I wondered how other women could possibly survive without insurance.  No matter what, no matter how much family and friend support, if a woman doesn’t have insurance or some way to get the treatment, she simply isn’t going to live to see her family grow, to see a graduation, a grandchild.” 

Her voice cracked at this point and she paused. “That is why I wanted to give this bench to The Rose.  I am so thankful there is a Rose in our city. It is the safety net for some many, a place where no one is turned away.”

She reached over and hugged me, and we were both fighting back tears.  The bench was dedicated and is now prominently displayed in our lobby. Every time I see a person using it I remember that hug and think how fortunate we are to have Eileen as a Champion.

She’s brought many gifts to The Rose including helping expand and improve our mobile services to corporations and businesses.  But perhaps her best gift was her long-time friend Jeanne Gillen.  Knowing that Eileen was ending her two-year term as president of the Houston Affiliate, I had reached out to her about serving on our Board.   At first she didn’t reply.  Then when she did, she hedged, talking about not wanting to make such commitment so soon and the increase in her workload.  Of course, I was disappointed.

However, later at a Komen event when I was serving as the guest speaker, she nearly tackled me at the conclusion of my speech. “There is someone I want you to meet,” she announced.

She ushered me through the crowd and soon we were standing in front of a lovely tall, white-haired lady who sported an easy smile.  The look in her eyes was a little guarded but quickly turned to curiosity as Eileen launched into her spiel. 

“Dorothy, I want you to meet Jeanne!  This is the person you need for your Board. She’s dynamic and would be great!  Talk to her!”  And with that final order, Eileen kind of pushed Jeanne toward me, turned on her heels and left.

Jeanne and I stood there for a moment.  I don’t know about her, but I was a bit dazed trying to sort out what had just happened.  Finally we smiled and started talking. Jeanne was everything Eileen described.  Eventually Jeanne would become a part of the Board (she still teases about how we “dated” for a while…but that’s another story.)  She even accepted the role of serving as the chair for our Silver Rose Gala steering committee. What a great addition Jeanne has been to our leadership, and once again, what a great gift Eileen has given to The Rose.

Dr. Mohamed Haq was a part of The Rose’s life before it was ever born.  As one of the first, and for a while. the only hematologist and oncologist on staff at Bayshore Medical Center, his was a specialty unlike any others. Trained at M.D. Anderson, Dr. Haq opened his practice in Pasadena in 1980. 

I remember when he joined the staff how incredibly gentle and kind he was, traits that have only grown over the years.  He used to come to my tiny office in the basement and ask me to pull together slides for him.  Looking back, I’m sure he struggled with moving from a large medical center teaching facility with all its resources and knowledge about the medical world of scientific lectures to a struggling, self-taught P. person whose real expertise was in creating news releases and brochures.  As good as I might have been with the camera, I never mastered the nuances of medical graphs using Y and X axis, nor how to display them appropriately for his lectures.  Patiently he returned with each blotched offering and explained what he needed.  I would try again and somewhere in the middle we came together.

One of the few personal conversations I ever had with Dr. Haq at that time was when I was admiring his achievements and saying how much his family must be proud of him.  He responded that in India, physicians are not held in such high esteem as the western world.  There everyone is acknowledged and equal, whether their profession is as a doctor, engineer, teacher or even service worker. It was a strange concept to me, especially after being around so many physicians whose personalities (some would say egos) were as varied and large as their practice.  But even then he exuded a sense of graciousness that has never gone away.

Dixie was already depending on him for all her patient’s oncology needs.  They created quite a team and a genuine confidence existed between the two—obvious and reassuring to patients.   I’ll never forget the time we opened The Rose when Dixie started our first support group.  Dr. Haq was one of our first official speakers at that tiny facility.  Remember it was only 988 sq ft and 500 of those feet were used for equipment and services.  Twenty women crammed into the tiny reception area and Dr. Haq began his presentation.  He projected his slides against an almost white wall which only distorted the images a little. The real trick was he had to arrange the projector on one side of a huge concrete column while he stood on the other.  This column was positioned dead center of the room, partially blocking the viewing for most of the audience.   I watched as people swayed from right to left, watching one side of the slide then moving to the other, trying to capture the full image as Dr. Haq lectured.  Every soul in that room was totally absorbed in his words and his explanations.

Even after all these years, I still remember one thing he said about chemotherapy. He likened it to using “an atomic bomb to get rid of a gnat.”  His tone was apologetic and sincere as he explained that chemotherapy was the best medicine had to offer right now and until there was a better treatment, it had to be used. The women in the room, heads bald, mouths plagued with sores, tired beyond tired, totally understood what he meant.   When he finished, the women would crowd around asking questions, seeking advice. He took time to answer each one, even though it meant staying until late into the night.

Throughout the years, Dr. Haq remained our physician to turn to. He was the first  physician who is was willing to take care of our uninsured women at no charge and helped us to establish the Physicians Network, now over 500 healthcare providers strong.  It is difficult to fully appreciate what it means for him to ‘accept’ a patient into care knowing there won’t be reimbursement.  Besides providing a staff to administer chemotherapy, he is committed to her for the full course of treatment—usually five years.

Later he headed up our Emergency Treatment Fund, developing the protocol and criteria for using donated funds to care for women who needed treatment but couldn’t qualify for any state or local program.  He painstakingly reviewed every chart and every application, ever mindful of determining what treatment regime was right for the patient as well as what could give her the best chance for survival -- all within our very limited budget. 

Colleagues refer to him as the “doctor to the doctors,” and his staff will tell you of his generosity, compassion, intelligence, and humility. (He’ll deny this but I have heard that he makes house calls.) His volunteer contributions to the community, his quiet behind-the-scenes work supporting worthy causes is legendary.  Recently he started his own primary clinic, the Shifa Clinic on Highway 3 in Clear Lake to serve the needs of a broader and diverse clientele.

He has always had an eye and love for research and I believe that someday his theories will prove correct and bring revolutionary changes to cancer treatment.

Of all the stories I could share about Dr. Haq, perhaps the one I love best is the tradition he had at his office for the longest time-maybe it continues today.  Whenever a breast cancer patient finishes her last chemotherapy, she is presented with a beautiful rose. 

Their ‘thorny’ time is over and with their rose comes celebration and love.

This memory is one of 25 short stories written by Dorothy Gibbons, the Co-founder and CEO of The Rose, a nonprofit breast cancer organization. She and Dr. Dixie Melillo received the 501C3 documents for The Rose in 1986. A memory will be shared daily, culminating with number 25 on the day The Rose celebrates its 25th anniversary November 10.

© 2011 Dorothy Gibbons. All rights reserved.

“In Motion” Is Right -- Day 21 of 25 Memories -- A Countdown to Our 25th Anniversary Gala by Dorothy Gibbons

The tagline reads: “In motion against breast cancer.”

That’s a perfect description of the Pink Ribbons Project and its Survivor Founder Susan Rafte. These days, it’s not unusual to see Susan enter the room, talking intently with an invisible someone but with no phone in sight. And then the ear piece is more evident and you realize she’s closing a conversation about one project as she’s arriving to discuss another.

She’s petite, agile, and possesses a simple elegance … even when she’s in a pair of jeans. She has some of the best shoes—especially her cowgirl boots--that one could ever imagine! Her mind never seems to stop connecting the dots and she’s constantly generating ideas for networking and new ways to draw attention to breast cancer.  

Multi-tasking is a way of life for this co-creator of the arts-based organization that not only raises funds for breast cancer groups like The Rose but also provides survivors and their family members a chance to express themselves through the arts.

I’ve known Susan for years – we’ve worked on various projects together since Pink Ribbons Project’s beginnings back in 1998 when they first became supporters of The Rose. Today we share responsibilities as board members of the Breast Health Collaborative of Texas. She’s a great supporter of The Rose. And she is also a survivor. She was diagnosed in 1995.

The story of Susan and her sister Jane Weiner is now legendary. Wanting to do something, Jane and her friends danced.  That dance created funds that eventually supported testimony for FDA approval of new drugs which would in fact be the drugs that would save Susan’s life.  It is an extraordinary story and one that continues to impact our community.

Throughout the years, Jane and Susan’s fundraising efforts have included more dance -- aka “Pink at the Brown,” an incredible production at the Wortham Theater which even warranted attendance by President Bush and wife Barbara.  Their Tour de Pink is a one-of-a-kind ride and Pink Platters features specially created plates displayed at only the finest restaurants. They even gave us a bit of “Broadway” when they brought “Bald in the Land of Big Hair” to a Houston stage.

All this fun has raised a lot of funds! The proceeds have covered the costs of expensive mammography equipment, including our most recent needs for digital equipment and superior ultrasound systems as well as partially funding one of the Mobile Mammography units.  Many of the dollars raised have gone directly to patient care. In fact, for the longest time, it was Pink Ribbons’ contributions that allowed for services for some of our women who truly fell between the cracks.

Of all the events we’ve collaborated on, the most recent has been one of the most well-received and special to our patients.  Giving our clients a special treat each first Tuesday of the month, area artists offer a day of instruction to those waiting for their screenings at The Rose Galleria. Pink Ribbons provides the funds to cover the costs of not only the day of art but also the needs of any sponsored patients that come in those days.

We transform the conference room adjacent to the waiting area into our own little art studio. Then paintings, jewelry, needlework, sculptures, and three-dimensional cards emerge as both women and men (lots of husbands) express their creative sides … or at least enjoy the coffee and homemade cupcakes made by our staff!

When one of the women holds up her creation for all to see, it’s easy to understand why Susan has devoted so much of her apparently never-ending energies to encouraging the use of the arts as therapy. The pride is there. The joy is there. And for a few moments, fears about health are pushed aside and a new creation is celebrated.

Those “Pink Days at The Rose” are great illustrations of what I imagine the inside of Susan’s brain must look like – creative, constant chatter, and a little bit of chaos all combined!

Even Pink Ribbons Project’s new executive director Loubel Cruz Galik has gotten in on the action of Pink Days. Her infectious smile was wide the day she dropped by to check on how it was going and wound up staying for a little creative expression of her own!

With Loubel now at the helm of Pink Ribbons Project, you might think that Susan would slow down but that would only be true if you didn’t know Susan. Those of us who have seen her in motion, know there’s no stopping her.

And The Rose … as well as the other local breast cancer organizations who benefit from Pink Ribbons Project regularly … are grateful!

(Click here for more information on Pink Ribbons Project.)

This memory is one of 25 short stories written by Dorothy Gibbons, the Co-founder and CEO of The Rose, a nonprofit breast cancer organization. She and Dr. Dixie Melillo received the 501C3 documents for The Rose in 1986. A memory will be shared daily, culminating with number 25 on the day The Rose celebrates its 25th anniversary November 10.

© 2011 Dorothy Gibbons. All rights reserved.

A Pink Goat, Yes, Really -- Day 20 of 25 Memories -- A Countdown to Our 25th Anniversary Gala by Dorothy Gibbons

I was in Canada when Palmer McInnis first made history with The Rose.  Board member Bob Domec had left a message on my phone, talking so fast I almost couldn’t make out what he was saying.

“Did you hear about the heifer?  Palmer’s heifer was covered in pink ribbons!  The auction brought $11,000!”

Heifer? Auction? I was totally confused and it was several hours before I learned the whole story. 

The year was 2005. Palmer was 16 years old and an avid FFA participant having brought many animals to the Pasadena Livestock Show and Rodeo for showing and auction.   This year, his stepmother, Carla, was losing her battle against breast cancer.  Palmers Dad and Stepmother ran their own company and times had been tough.  They didn’t have insurance and when she needed help, The Rose was there. 

Carla was in ICU when Palmer showed his prized heifer and his decision to donate whatever money it brought during the auction to The Rose was pretty incredible.  You have to understand that these young people usually apply their “winnings” to their college costs. In Palmer’s mind, that money was better used by The Rose to help more women like his stepmother.

Fast forward to the fall of 2006.

While I wasn’t at the Livestock Show, I’ve heard many versions of the event –- an event that will go down in history, not just for The Rose but also for Pasadena and Deer Park. 

Imagine with me the sequence of events. 

Carla died not long after the donation from the heifer auction, and things got pretty tough for the McInnis family.  His dad was in major grief, work was sparse, and the boys (Palmer and his brother) pretty much held the family together.  He didn’t have money to raise, feed and care for another heifer, in fact he didn’t do a lot of things that year that his Senior buddies were doing.  It all boiled down to a matter of money.

Palmer is an incredibly handsome young man, with a modest-almost “aw shucks” approach and response to any praise.  But it is his sweet and generous nature that sets him apart from a lot of young people.  So that year, in spite of all, he didn’t give up.  He raised a goat, a plain simple goat. He named the goat Poncho and on the day of the Livestock Show and Rodeo, he spray painted it a bright pink color!   (Folks often ask if that hurt the goat—the answer is no; it washed off easily.)

His was an eighth place goat, not even in the running for any top awards and certainly not a candidate for earning much money from the auction.  In fact, if it brought $1,000 it would be lucky. But, undaunted, Palmer put a big pink ribbon around that little goat’s neck, and pulled his pink package into the ring.  He announced that whatever he raised from the auction would go to The Rose.

The auctioneer knew of Palmer’s story, his family’s loss, the way his winnings would go to The Rose and how Palmer’s heifer meant  $11,000 to The Rose the year before.  The auctioneer called for the first bid.

Joe and Debbie Chambers, owners of  “U Pick U Pull” Auto Parts in Pasadena started the bidding at $11,000!

The normal bidding continued until the bid reached $50,000—which Joe and Debbie Chambers paid. At that point, Bob Domec approached the auctioneer and told him Palmer’s dad had raised another $10,000 and Casa Ole’ was donating an additional $5,000 … that’s when everyone got in on the action.  

Someone shouted,  “I’ll add $5,000!”

Another yelled,  “Make that $10,000!”

In seconds, the crowd was going wild, clapping and screaming as the total grew. The frenzy was incredible.

The final figure came to $115,000.

Everyone was screaming and hugging.  Folks from The Rose were jumping up and down!  I still get chills remembering Brahana (our center director) tell me that she looked out over the crowd and saw grown men -- cowboys in their boots and hats—openly crying.  

It was a moment never before experienced in that convention center and most likely will never be recreated again.

Palmer beamed brighter than ever as he held on to Poncho -- which was given back to him.  Palmer’s story was picked up by every news station, and he was interviewed over and over by the local media. His answer to “Why would you do this? Why would give up you college money and be so generous to The Rose?” was always the same.

He’d smile and say, “It was the right thing to do.  All those women at The Rose could be helped.”

We nominated Palmer for the Yoplait Champion National award, which he won hands down and resulted in yet another gift of $1000 to The Rose.

It took months to “come down” from the excitement of that event and gift. Then, just when we were ready to move to yet another chapter in the life of The Rose, an interesting proposition was posed to The Board. 

Why couldn’t we start a Pink Goat Society?   It would be a way to reserve that $115,000 in a significant way and build upon it.  The concept was simple: anyone who gave a $1000 (or more) donation to The Rose could be a Pink Goat and be part of a very elite group of people.  We hired Rae Sinor to run the program and had tons of fun coming up with events, special gifts and ways to recognize our Pink Goats.   Radio star and Houston legend, Dana Tyson, even participated in the goat milking contest at the Houston Livestock Show as a way of participating in our Pink Goat Society. She came in second but it was great publicity for our group.

By the end of the first year, we went from 13 individuals who had given single gifts of $1000 to The Rose over the past few years to 80 people.  $80,000 plus $115,000 plus $11,000 wow that was a lot of money! The Pink Goat Society was a huge success and left us with such a legacy.

What a difference this young man made when he decided to do something special in memory of a woman who meant a lot to his life.

What a difference in The Rose’s life and the life of the women we served. 

PS.  Those folks that recognized Palmer had in fact “given away” his college tuition rounded up more folks and before we knew it, a Golf Tournament came about, raising lots of money to help offset some of his college costs.  Palmer is still in school and is still making a difference in the world.

Poncho eventually went to Dixie’s ranch where he lived out his short, but famous, life.

This memory is one of 25 short stories written by Dorothy Gibbons, the Co-founder and CEO of The Rose, a nonprofit breast cancer organization. She and Dr. Dixie Melillo received the 501C3 documents for The Rose in 1986. A memory will be shared daily, culminating with number 25 on the day The Rose celebrates its 25th anniversary November 10.

© 2011 Dorothy Gibbons. All rights reserved.