Lindsay Avner
I don't know many people who aren't inspired by Lindsay Avner , Founder of Bright Pink but, I am I one of them. The fact that Lindsay turned her own circumstances into a global outreach to help other women with breast cancer, is nothing short of mind blowing. It truly is.
The decisions she made along the way have made her a rather unique trailblazer. Lindsay was just another woman making her way in this crazy thing called life. She came to a fork in the road regarding her health & made a choice that would essentially not only change her own life but the lives of millions of women nationwide.
What she has accomplished - at her age - is what inspires me. I am inspired by her courage, tenacity, leadership, compassion and overall business savvy. I am inspired by Lindsay's intelligence, kindness and overall ability to take a stand for what she believes in. She is beyond brave & for that, I am left to marvel.
Please review Lindsay's story below & if you know of anyone that has breast cancer, please refer them over to bebrightpink.org.
Lindsay Avner
Founder And Executive Director, Bright Pink
Lindsay Avner, 27, is no stranger to breast and ovarian cancer. Her mother fought both diseases when Lindsay was only 12 and she lost both her grandmother and great-grandmother to breast cancer before she was born. In June 2005, right after graduating from the University of Michigan, Lindsay tested positive for a mutation on the BRCA1 gene, indicating she had a lifetime risk of up to 87 percent of developing breast cancer and 54 percent of developing ovarian cancer. Vowing not to let the disease strike her, as it had three generations of women before her, she opted to have a bilateral prophylactic mastectomy. At the time, Lindsay was the youngest patient nationally to opt for the procedure.
It was during her experience that Lindsay realized the lack of resources for women in her specific situation – young women at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer. After honing her marketing skills while working in brand management at Unilever, Lindsay founded Bright Pink in January 2007 to share her experience and resources with other young women across the country.
Bright Pink is currently the only national organization with an exclusive focus on prevention and early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in high-risk young women. With ten chapters, nine educational and support programs and more than 10,000 members nationwide, Bright Pink continues to experience record growth and is inspiring thousands of women nationwide to be proactive with their health. Under Lindsay’s leadership, Bright Pink has raised more than $1.3 million, secured national causemarketing partnerships with several prestigious companies including Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company through its Orbit, Orbit White and Eclipse brands, and in 2010, was named the #1 Charity in Chicago by Chicago Scene Magazine. Lindsay has spearheaded a national movement and empowered countless young women to be proactive, not reactive—to see themselves as advocates for their health, not victims of a disease.
Lindsay was named “A Woman to Watch” by the Chicago Sun Times (2008), an “Action Hero” by Women’s Healthmagazine (2008) and is the the youngest recipient of the Anti-Defamation League’s “Rising Star” award (2009.) Lindsay serves as co-chair of the Young Women’s National Advisory Council for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Lindsay’s story and work has been profiled in such media outlets as the Chicago Tribune, Cosmopolitan, Shape,Glamour, Chicago Magazine, New York Times, New York Post, Today Show and CNN.
excerpt above from:
www.bebrightpink.org
