The most morally dubious aspect of their financials is the way in which they spend the money that has been donated to them. Komen only devotes Komen brand and merchandise. Not only that but the organization has in the past put the lives of women at risk purely to make a political statement. A Washington Post article reports that in Susan G. Komen pulled all its grants for breast cancer screenings to Planned Parenthood. This was after Planned Parenthood came under federal inquiry over whether it had spent federal money on abortions.
And of course, being the image conscious organization they are, they restored the grant very quickly after the massive public outcry against the decision. There is no need for Susan G. Komen to devote as much time and effort as it does into fluffing itself up and peddling pink ribbons.
Why should a charity organization be so dedicated to protecting its brand? Komen has no reason, in fact, they have no right, to use funds donated to help people to try to prevent other charities from helping victims of breast cancer. Until Susan G. Komen makes a change, if it ever does, there are several organizations that people would be better off donating their time and money to. Charity Watch, an organization founded by the American Institute of Philanthropy, created a list of the top ten charities dedicated to fighting cancer.
Other charities that should be donated to, based on the ranking of Charity Navigator, are the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the Dr. That reflects the relatively small amount Komen reports spending on administration and fundraising 18 percent of donations and its accountability and transparency.
Komen issues audited financial statements, for instance, and has policies on conflicts of interest and whistleblowing. The Wishing Well Foundation, which fulfills requests from terminally ill children, gets zero stars and 4. In absolute terms, Komen is a leader in funding breast cancer research among private organizations. It reported much higher fund-raising and administration costs than Komen, accounting for 30 percent of donations. The Breast Cancer Research Foundation reported spending 92 percent of what it raised on research; the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 56 percent.
The Avon Foundation, which sponsors both walks and research efforts, does not itemize its breast cancer spending in its financial statements. Of the full proposals - those deemed good enough that scientists were invited to submit an extensive description of their proposed research - it funds less than 20 percent, said a leading cancer researcher with close ties to Komen.
That also raises doubts for some researchers about how applicable the results of lab rodent studies are to humans. Experts have begun to argue that an emphasis on this type of research partially explains why so little progress has been made in the war on cancer. Many recurrences occur eight to 12 years after the initial diagnosis, when women think they are out of the woods. Education encompasses a wide variety of activities at Komen. You can find a way to speed up the research. I know you can.
And I want to fix up this waiting room and make it pretty for the women who have to be here. But then, for reasons known only to God, the disease started to rage inside her once again.
Fully aware of her condition, but never willing to give up or talk about it, Suzy began a perilous and painful downhill battle.
There was more surgery and more chemotherapy, but by now her body had built up a resistance to the drugs. Her cancer had gotten so out of control that it broke through the skin, resulting in grotesque sores all over her chest. She began to spend more time feeling awful and we spent more time feeling helpless.
None of us knew what to do anymore. Up until this point, we had always spoken enthusiastically about our future together. It was becoming more obvious with each new day that this was our future with Suzy. One day, during the time when Suzy stayed in Houston, we were lying together by the pool at the hotel. She loved to sunbathe as often as possible, because she felt that having color on her face was the only thing that made her look healthy.
As I watched her lying there reading, I took note of her thin, frail body and strained breathing. Fortunately, Suzy was into her book and paid no attention to me. Had she looked over, she would have seen my tears and known immediately what I was thinking.
Our time together was drawing to a close. In a flood of beautiful memories, I began to look back on the sacred relationship I shared with my sister. Frantically, I wrote my memories down, fearing somehow I might forget one later.
It was time to begin saying our good-byes. Our family had always been totally honest with each other, and breaking that trust at this point would hurt Suzy much more than help her.
After my sister was released from M. Anderson, I tried to come home every other week for a visit. One particular Sunday afternoon on the way back to the airport, Suzy spoke to me again about doing something to help the sick women in the hospital.
This practically tore my heart out because here she was, hardly able to manage a whisper, and she was worrying about other people. When my father pulled up to the curb, I quickly kissed them both good-bye and jumped out of the car. I was just about inside when I heard a funny sound that sounded like my name. I stopped in my tracks and turned around.
There was Suzy, standing up outside the car on wobbly knees, wig slightly askew. And then I ran to catch my plane. I never saw my sister alive again.
After nine operations, three courses of chemotherapy and radiation, she had lost her three-year war. By the time I flew back to her side it was too late. She was gone. I wanted to stay near my parents because I knew they needed me the truth is, we needed each other , but I had a son and a home that had been without any attention for a long time.
It was time to get on with it, to pick myself up and start living again. Some things are easier said than done. I spent a lot of time thinking about Suzy. There is no way to accurately describe the void her absence left in my life. I also spent a great deal of time questioning my faith and wondering why such a good person was taken from a family that needed her so desperately. Was Suzy watching me? Did she hear me when I called her name out loud? Just in case, I wanted to do something to let her know how special she would always be in my heart.
I was haunted by our last conversation and lay awake sometimes all night wondering what I could do to help other women with breast cancer. Two weeks later, Second Lady Margaretta Rockefeller undergoes a double mastectomy. Komen dies at the age of Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Bernard Fisher, and Dr. Craig Jordan. Postal Service. Sign Up For Our Newsletter. Skip to content.
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