Alive Celebration shares inspiring stories, asks for increased support for cancer patients

On Wednesday, April 17, Komen West Michigan gathered West Michigan cancer survivors -- including women helped by the Komen-financed Ottawa County program -- for an "Alive Celebration" aimed at sharing inspiring stories and obtaining increased support for cancer patients in five West Michigan counties. Hosted at Experience Grand Rapids, 171 Monroe Ave., Grand Rapids, the event drew about 25 people, including 18 survivors who told their personal stories.

"My goal was to create a real tie between Komen West Michigan and the people of West Michigan," says Jennifer Jurgens, executive director of Susan G. Komen West Michigan. "It's my experience that people do not give their time or money to a faceless organization; they give to help further a cause that has affected them personally. And there's nothing that makes us feel more connected to a cause like the story of a person we know who has lived through it."

Jurgens beat breast cancer by getting a test her mother didn't get in time. Her mom passed away from breast cancer at age 36, when Jurgens was just 12. She takes it personally that Ottawa County will lose free cancer screenings in May because Komen West Michigan levels fell short of the $50,000 needed to continue the program for the next year.

This year, Komen West Michigan is supporting six West Michigan breast health programs with $235,550 in grants. That figure, down from a year earlier, wasn't enough to help Ottawa County's City on a Hill Clinic and six other programs that met Komen's funding guidelines.

Last year, a $50,000 grant from Komen West Michigan helped City on a Hill Health Clinic treat 264 low-income women, providing breast exams, education, and mammograms. That's an average of $189 per patient, a fraction of the tens of thousands spent treating a single patient whose cancer isn't detected early.

Get involved:
- Volunteer.
- Make a donation.

Sources: Jennifer Jurgens, Komen West Michigan; Nicole Meloche, Organik Consulting
Writer: Victoria Mullen, Do Good Editor

Images: Courtesy of Komen West Michigan