1 in 8 U.S. women (about 13%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime and it’s expected that during 2021, an estimated 281,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be found in women in the U.S., along with 49,290 new cases of non-invasive (insitu) breast cancer. So by the time you read this, three quarter of the year will have passed and cancer will have invaded the lives of women nationwide.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in September, 2020 and after 2 surgeries, chemo and radiation she took her lemons and made lemonade. We’ve all seen the devastation that cancer does to the body but the financial implications are unseen and beyond our imagination unless you’ve lived it.

After joining an online support group, I began to listen to the stories and the hearts of her peers, women warriors with Stage IV metastatic cancer sharing their stories of their financial struggles from depleted retirement funds, savings and checking accounts due to medical bills. The choice between buying food and buying medication is real, the choice between paying the utilities and paying numerous treatment co-pays is real, and the difference between buying groceries and maintaining supplemental insurance payments is real. I knew I had to help my fellow sisters in the fight. I began to sell breast cancer support the fight keychains to raise funds to provide financial assistance for the women in my support group. Through the sales and donations from friends and family medication, food, laundry supplies, and payments for everyday necessities and household needs have been provided.

In celebration for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, I'm on a mission to sell 100 or more keychains to provide the women a financial stipend. The keychains sell for $15 each and $4.95 for shipping but that’s not all, between September 21st-October 30th anyone who purchases a keychain will be given a raffle entry for each keychain purchased to win a Keurig Duo with coffee valued at $268. The drawing will take place on November 1st at noon.

This is your way to make a difference in the lives of women with cancer in a way that will add to their quality of life. It will be the best investment that $15 could ever make. Contact Sheila De gruy at (213) 590-7005 or degruyassociates@yahoo.com for more info or to order.