You could describe Dr. Leah Kelley by her credentials: Yale graduate; board certified in obstetrics and gynecology; medical director of the Breast Oncology Program at Marin General Hospital (MGH).

Or, you could describe Dr. Leah Kelley by her personal attributes: Six-feet tall and athletic.

A two-time cancer survivor reflects on the adage that laughter is the best medicine.

I like to think of myself as a funny person. I always try to find a way to laugh about something and must admit that I am also a bit of a practical joker at times (as long as no one gets hurt). I even try to keep my sense of humor during difficult times, because it is an excellent way to break the ice in an uncomfortable situation. It helps me make light of my challenging circumstances, and it has helped me heal through considerable obstacles in life.

In 2003, Zero Breast Cancer collaborated with scientists from Kaiser Division of Research and UCSF to establish a Bay Area Breast Cancer and the Environment Research Program which was funded by the National Institute of Health Sciences and the National Cancer Institute.

Todos hemos escuchado lo importante que es dormir para nuestra salud. El estrés del diagnóstico y el tratamiento del cáncer en el cuerpo y la mente puede hacer que dormir sea más difícil, sin embargo, es importante para sanar. Incluso las personas cuyo tratamiento ha terminado suelen experimentar problemas para dormir ocasionalmente. Para algunos de nosotros dormir puede ser una lucha.

Trying to lose weight? Think about changing to a positive focus on more exercise and/or healthy eating habits, rather than a number on the scale. A fascinating new study shows that even if you are at a healthy weight, feeling bad about your weight seems to cause the same diseases as being overweight, like diabetes!

Sadly, weight dissatisfaction and poor body image can start early in girls and actually discourage healthy behaviors.

Do you know what a family of four in North Carolina eats in a week? Do you know how the proportions of items vary between fresh produce, dairy products, animal protein, processed and junk food between families in the United States and Kuwait? Have you ever thought about the different packaging our weekly groceries come in? Where would you suppose the weekly shopping bill is the highest? Where would you suppose it is the lowest? Do you think there are correlations between health and different eating habits/cost of food?

I recently had the privilege of attending the Society of Public Health Education (SOPHE) conference.  So many researchers and community organizations are doing work relevant to ZBC! I want to summarize what I learned about two topics that are particularly timely: Health Inequity and Health Resources & Media Literacy.

As a genetic counselor for the last 10 years, I've counseled patients about their cancer risks and guided them through the genetic testing process. I help them decide if genetic testing is right for them and explain how their test results might impact their physical and mental health. We discuss next steps and how to use this information to empower their health and their lives. We talk through their emotions and fears. Sometimes we just sit in silence. Every patient's journey is unique, and their feelings are complex.

Speaking to Arbella Parrot, you naturally latch on to her every word and get inspired by what she shares given her sincerity and enthusiasm. A licensed clinical psychologist for eighteen years, Arbella joined the ZBC board just over a year ago and has been an invaluable member of the organization ever since. We took some time to catch up with her as part of a Get to Know the ZBC Board series and are so honored to share her story with you.

New Board President David Shao shares his background and what he values about Zero Breast Cancer in this Get to Know the Board series interview. He first became involved with Zero Breast Cancer in 2012 and joined the board in 2019.

It is such a pleasure to speak to JT Peterson and get motivated to do good in the world! As a personal trainer, coach, and co-owner of Ripped Body Fitness, he exudes positive energy and a “you can do it” attitude. JT has been a wonderful member of the ZBC board for almost two years and we took some time to talk to him as part of our Get to Know the ZBC Board series. We are honored to share his insights with you!

In this month’s Get to Know the ZBC Board interview, Judy Wetterer shares her wisdom as a survivor and advocate for breast cancer risk reduction. She has been involved in ZBC from the very beginning of the organization when it was Marin Breast Cancer Watch, later served as a member of the ZBC Teen Initiative Task Force and is now in her third year as a member of the board.

Kevin Gay shares his enthusiasm for Zero Breast Cancer in this month’s Get to Know the Board interview. In his second year as a board member, Kevin’s financial management expertise and knowledge of nonprofit governance have been invaluable to advancing the ZBC mission. 

Next up in the Get to Know the ZBC Board series is Lexi Mele-Algus. Lexi got to know Zero Breast Cancer as a pro-bono business consultant through the Taproot Foundation. Once that assignment was completed, Lexi jumped at the opportunity to join our board. In her year and a half as a board member, she has continued to draw upon her expertise in the field of healthcare systems to support and advance the strategic mission of ZBC.

Board President Melissa Felder discusses the significance of Zero Breast Cancer in this month’s Get to Know the ZBC Board interview. She has been a member of the Board of Directors for the past three years and is toward the end of her first year of a two-year term as president. Building on her initial engagement with ZBC as a Taproot Foundation consultant, Melissa has helped ensure our organization fulfills our goals to prevent breast cancer in the next generation. She will help oversee exciting new developments that will be made possible by Marjorie Bonner’s generous bequest.

When we talk about “partners” here at Zero Breast Cancer, there are so many who lend their support and service in different ways. We simply could not function without them! Now, in the 31 days since I started here, the partner I have looked to for support, insight and sincere partnership has been Anne-Marie Hartwig. Anne comes to the office a few days a week to support our bookkeeping and operations efforts, as well as be the point person for all things related to the Dipsea Hike. Her dedication to ZBC has been unwavering. And I am so grateful to see her serene and knowing expression whenever I have a question or need for context. Anne is a beloved partner to our staff as well as the entire community, but I imagine not everyone knows about the interesting and adventurous path she took to get here! 

Next up in our Meet ZBC Partners series is Barbara “Bibi” Gelfand Summer of Barbara Gelfand Summer Design. Bibi been ZBC’s main designer since 2015. Working with our style guide and color palette, she has designed a wide variety of materials for us, including all of our 13 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer collateral, donor appreciation brochures, and much more. Bibi has helped us to ensure our materials are simple but not simplistic and feel genuinely high quality and inclusive. We love that she has learned about breast cancer risk reduction from ZBC while she has taught us some of the secrets of how good design powers effective communication.

We spoke with Carol MacDonell this month for the next interview in our Get to Know ZBC Partners series. Carol works at Marin IT and has been a trusted IT consultant for ZBC over the past year. She helps ensure our computer systems run smoothly and sets up new computers, email addresses, VPN access and more. She is always happy to problem solve the issues we face and genuinely cares about the work ZBC does. You might have met her at our 2018 Dipsea Hike, where she volunteered her time to help hikers find their way up the Dipsea steps. Read on to learn about her work and enthusiasm for ZBC’s mission.

In the third of our Get to Know ZBC Partnersinterview series, we talked to Dallas Drotz of Drotz Design. Dallas is a versatile creative talent with excellent listening skills, a thirst for knowledge, a big heart and unending patience! Dallas was introduced to ZBC in 2015 when we needed to find a way to turn the science about early puberty into a health and wellness campaign. It all started with a series of mood boards and the rest is history. Today the body of work that Dallas has teamed with ZBC to create includes infographics in English, Spanish, and Chinese; a micro-site in English and Spanish, and a YouTube series in English, Spanish, and Chinese!

For the first interview of our new series, Get to Know ZBC Partners, we spoke with Helaine Alon, ZBC’s Communications Coordinator. Helaine started working with ZBC in October 2017. In her time with us, she has helped to overhaul the website, revitalize our social media pages, and write numerous book reviews and blog articles. We wish her well as she is moving on to new opportunities and are very grateful for the important work she has accomplished during her time with ZBC.