Fern Orenstein is currently a member of Zero Breast Cancer’s Scientific Advisory Group and was a founding board member of our organization, serving a total of 20 years! The above picture was taken when she was an honoree at our 2016 Honor Our Healer event. We are pleased to share with you a blog Fern wrote about her newest endeavor: A 3D nipple and areola tattooing nonprofit for breast cancer survivors.

This is an exciting time for the participants, research team and partners of the Pathways Study. With over a decade of data on more than 4,000 women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, the study is primed to have an impact! ZBC’s scientific partners are looking at many factors that influence breast cancer survival and reduce the risk of recurrence. Meanwhile, our Community Advisory Board (CAB) has begun to write articles on how to improve quality of life for those affected by breast cancer. Study results are ready to inform treatment decisions, individual behaviors, and ways to provide necessary support, especially to under-served communities.

Mother/daughter team Karen and Maddie Loebbaka have been volunteering for Zero Breast Cancer’s Annual Dipsea Hike for 5 years—starting when Maddie was 11! Karen heard about the hike 6 years ago from a friend who is a breast cancer survivor and participated as a hiker the first year she was involved. Then, she and Maddie got interested in volunteering through the National Charity League, a nonprofit that promotes the benefits of mothers and daughters doing volunteer service together. If you’ve recently participated in the hike, you likely met them at the registration table, which they are well-experienced at running.