Hey, I just wanted to give a big shoutout to The League of Extraordinary Chinese Women, a blog set on raising awareness (and money) for the cause of women with breast cancer in China.
From there site:
Twenty-five percent of breast-cancer patients are diagnosed with the HER2 type, the hardest to treat. Incurable, it can only be kept at bay. By getting expensive treatment and supporting each other’s survivial for as long as the disease can be held off, these women have not only stood up to the disease’s obstacles but also to the difficulties of the Chinese approach to Western medicine.
The site, rather than asking for donations, sells products made by ” needy craftsmen and women who will also benefit from sales.” I’m not sure if the “needy craftsmen/women” bit is simply because the shirts are made in China, and generally speaking the textile industry’s employees are quite needy, but either way… there’s FOR A GOOD CAUSE written all over this.
The site, though still very new, also gives some insight into the plight of Chinese women who are diagnosed with this disease:
In China, medical care for cancer still lacks proper identification and treatment. Doctors are reluctant to share truthful information about diagnoses because they fear their patients will refuse treatment or commit suicide to save their families money. In China, where medical costs can exceed 8 times a year’s salary and suffering from a disease leads to stigma and disgrace on one’s family and self, many cancer sufferers find suicide a valid choice. The consequences of this medical culture are deadly: in the last ten years, cancer deaths have increased 50% among women in China.
So, go pay them a visit, and hell, why not buy a family member a shirt or something with their Chinese name on it.
