RECREATING SELF IMAGE – IMAGE REBORN By Joanna Charnes

When you find out that your life is more important than your breasts, what do you feel in your heart? For talk, tears and hope with other women, here’s what Image Reborn is doing to help women help each other.

What is Image Reborn?
Image Reborn was founded in 1999 by Dr. Renato Saltz, a renowned surgeon who thought that his patients recovering from breast cancer needed more than he could give them in terms of emotional support and life strategies for coping with the disease of breast cancer. "The idea was to find a way to heal their souls." Image REborn Foundation continues to help breast cancer survivors and has served over 600 women in over 20 states and 13 different countries.

How is breast cancer affecting women?
Facts and Figures for 2006: In 2006, there were 212,920 new cases of breast cancer. A woman´s lifetime chance of developing breast cancer today is 1 in 8. In 1960 it was 1 in 20. 40,970 women died of the disease in 2006. There are over 2.3 women alive today who have survived breast cancer. Mortality is decreasing while incidence is on the rise.

Who is the spirit of Image Reborn?
Donna Creighton became Executive Director of Image Reborn in 2002. Donna was a patient of Dr. Saltz in 2000 after her second breast cancer diagnosis and has been a supporter of the foundation since the beginning. Prior to taking the position of Executive Director, Donna served as a facilitator of many support groups for survivors. Donna also serves as Program Director as well, conducting the monthly retreats and working with the participants.

What does Image Reborn offer to breast cancer survivors?
Retreats - The retreats offer a safe environment where women enjoy catered meals, spa services, comaraderie, friendship as well as informal sessions with some of the country´s best specialists in the field of breast cancer, surgery and treatment, in addition to discussions on genetics, sexuality, lymphedema and other related areas of interest. There is a session on journaling and art therapy and many hours of just talking with other women in similar life situations.

How are women affected by Image Reborn?
The women who attend the retreats form fast friendships and stay in touch with each other long after the weekend. They are connected and stay that way through e-mail, telephone and support groups they form on their own. Many of the women have organized "reunions" and they get together each year at the annual fundraiser as volunteers.

25.06.2007

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