Pink Me reminds RR that Breast Cancer Awareness Month is now

Halloween, fall festivals, harvest festivals and trunk-or-treats all take priority in people’s minds during October. Pink Me, a breast cancer awareness group in Rio Rancho, wants to remind people that October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“I am a two-time breast cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016, six weeks after my twin sister was diagnosed. We were each other’s support system. And so through that experience, I wanted to be able to give that to other women,” Pink Me President and founder Dr. Michelle Bean said.

The nonprofit organization was founded in 2020 by Bean in Enchanted Hills. Pink Me’s message is that firsthand awareness surrounding breast cancer is incredibly important as early detection, often through screenings, can catch the disease when it is most treatable.

“My own experience allowed me to just really be able to see all of the challenges that come along with being diagnosed with breast cancer, navigating through the health system and the resources and understanding all of the medical terms and the treatment plans. You know, all of that information can be overwhelming,” Bean adds.

Bean says she also knows the health care system because she works in it.

While Pink Me does not provide services to people who have lost people to breast cancer, they do have resources and information for people to go to.

“Initially, when we did start our financial assistance program, we noticed that most of our friends that were applying were at more advanced stages with their breast cancer and younger than myself,” Bean said.

Because of this, Pink Me started the “Mammogram’s Matter” initiative, which expands knowledge about detection of breast cancer in earlier stages.

Bean says many people go through life without getting screened. To help with awareness, Pink Me holds events and talks. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the organization is also hosting a 5K in Santa Fe Oct. 21 and will have a mammogram truck on site.

For more information visit pink-me.org.