As October paints our towns in shades of pink, it can be easy to see it as just another tradition. However, in Southeast Ohio, awareness means very little without the community that stands beside it.
Lee Wood’s experience with breast cancer began in 2012, when she was diagnosed at 47 years old and faced years of treatment, including chemotherapy, a double mastectomy and immunotherapy. Her care required frequent drives from Athens to The James Cancer Center in Columbus, which she was able to manage, though she worried about the women in her community who did not have the same resources.
In 2014, Wood turned her concern into action, founding the Ohio Pink Ribbon Fund. The organization helps provide gas cards, hotel stays, meals and emotional support for women in Southeast Ohio facing breast cancer. Since its founding, Wood estimates she helped over 200 women last year through their battles against breast cancer.
“I know a lot of people are like, ‘Oh, it’s pink, everything’s pink, and I’m tired of it,’” Wood said. “Embrace the pink for a month. It’s important. One in eight women is going to get it. There are going to be women who don’t make it, and we need people to help each other through it.”
In Southeast Ohio, healthcare access is not guaranteed. Residents of Morgan County, just 24 miles from Athens, live in a health desert, often traveling more than 45 minutes to reach the nearest hospital in Zanesville, according to WOSU. The American Cancer Society reports a 99% five-year survival rate when breast cancer is caught early, but only 32% when it’s detected late. Prevention matters, but when care feels out of reach, it’s easy to fall behind.
That’s where community programs like Break for Breakfast step in to bring care closer to residents. Organized by HAPCAP in partnership with CareSource and OhioHealth, the event comes directly to the community, offering a welcoming space, breakfast and on-site mammogram scheduling. This year’s event is Wednesday, Oct. 1, from 7-10 a.m. at the Athens City Pool parking lot.
“I think people are excited about something that is seen as a kind of chore and maybe not their favorite thing to do,” Eva Bloom, director of Athens’ Break for Breakfast, said. “It helps them be more likely to get these types of checks.”
For me, breast cancer became personal last November, when my mom was diagnosed at 46. I’ll never forget her voice, telling me she didn’t want to die before my 11-year-old brother had grown up. Hearing that from the person I’ve always seen as invincible shook me to my core.
Since then, I’ve watched her endure multiple surgeries, 16 rounds of chemotherapy and a month of radiation with a strength I can only hope to emulate. What struck me most was the strength of our community. Neighbors we barely knew organized meal trains, strangers offered to drive my siblings to practices and family members sat beside her through long infusions. Their kindness carried us when we could not carry ourselves.
I felt I owed it to both my mom and my community to share this story during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Thank you to everyone who stepped in when we were shaken to our core, when so much of the road ahead felt uncertain. This battle was my mom’s, but it touched all of us and in the midst of fear, it revealed a kind of beauty I never could have imagined.
One in eight women will face breast cancer in her lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society. Awareness alone isn’t enough; in Southeast Ohio, survival often depends on the strength of the community. From the Pink Ribbon Fund to Break for Breakfast to the neighbors who show up unasked, it is support, not slogans, that saves lives.
Abby Waechter is a senior studying strategic communication at Ohio University. Please note the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Have something to say? Email Abby at aw087421@ohio.edu.
