Altrisk has stepped in to support the Journey of Hope with a R25000 sponsorship of one of the riders, Amy Jansen, a breast cancer survivor and one of a team of 15 dynamic women who have all walked the road of breast cancer and survived. Their stories alone should suffice to inspire any woman going through the challenge herself that there is hope, there is support, and best of all, in the form of these 15 women, there is proof that breast cancer can be beaten.
From 9-16 October 2010, this team of ladies will travel 2100km of highways and byways of South Africa on Harley Davidson Motorcycles to bring the powerful message to women across the country that breast cancer has a 95% survival rate if detected and treated early. The Journey of Hope team members come from diverse backgrounds and different ethnic groupings, because cancer does not discriminate. Despite the hurdles in their various paths, their message is a universal one – HOPE springs eternal! They will embark on their epic journey to spread the message across South Africa, across barriers of misconception and most importantly, across lives! They will also to raise funds for breast cancer awareness and to change the lives of survivors.
The aim of the campaign is:
· To create awareness for early detection which is key to survival
· To bring hope in a positive way. The ride is a demonstration of the sheer courage and determination of survivors donning their leathers and helmets, and taking on the road as they took on the challenge of breast cancer – head on, positive and without waiver.
· To provide education on breast health including breast self examination, myths around breast cancer and so on.
· To raise money to make a difference in the lives of women in need of a mastectomy. Our partners in this project are provincial hospitals across South Africa who identify the survivor in need of a tissue expander or internal prosthesis for a reconstruction procedure. Journey of Hope will make a financial contribution in this regard.
· Journey of Hope will also continue receiving applications for the supplying of prosthesis. In this case we will collaborate with CANSA, where applicants would be requested to choose the prosthesis of their choice from the nearest Cancer Association Office.
Amy Jansen, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 and survived, is being sponsored by Altrisk on her ride. She talks about her two passions in life being combined into the Journey of Hope - to spread breast cancer awareness and to ride her Harley Davidson motorcycle. “I am passionate about educating women and raising awareness of this horrible disease. Breast Cancer comes like a thief in the night - it asks no questions; rich, poor, young, old, skinny, fat, anyone could be affected, and if not found early it can and will destroy lives. Even though we do not know how to prevent breast cancer, we do know how to fight it. The good news is that breast cancer can be beaten. The worst part of the entire breast cancer ordeal for me was the fear of the unknown. Knowledge is our weapon, and in most cases, early detection is vital to survival. I hope that one day there will be a cure, but until then, self-examination and mammograms are our only defence against this disease,” says Amy.
Craig Harding, Managing Director of Altrisk adds: “With October designated as Breast Health Awareness Month, it brings a sobering focus on our breast cancer statistics in South Africa, something that is echoed in Altrisk’s claims statistics, showing that breast cancer constitutes 20% of all cancer claims and 5% of all critical illness claims.”
“The Journey of Hope message is one that resonates with us and one of the key reasons why Altrisk has stepped on board as a ride sponsor for this campaign - early diagnosis gives the cancer patient a much higher chance of complete cure and less extensive surgery, if at all. Until we find a cure for this disease, early detection remains the most important factor in winning the battle against breast cancer,” explains Craig.
Statistics show that breast cancer is the most common cancer in women - 1 in 29 South African women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. In ‘Westernised’ communities the incidence increases to 1 in 8 and if you have a close relative who had breast cancer, the risk increases to 1 in 6. With the economic upliftment of our population, the overall population risk will also increase.
For more information about the Journey of Hope route, towns to be visited and biographies of these 15 amazing breast cancer survivors, go to http://www.journeyofhope.co.za/
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