Planned Parenthood flap taking huge toll on local Komen chapter

The fallout from the controversial cut in funding for
Planned Parenthood by the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
is taking a big toll on local efforts to battle breast
cancer.

Many people are making good on their pledge to pull
support for the organization, most notably its upcoming
Seattle Race for the Cure June 3 at Seattle Center, the
biggest fundraiser of the year.

“As of today, we’re about 45 percent down in the number of
participants as compared to last year and revenue is down
about 30 percent,” says Cheryl Shaw, Executive Director of
Susan G. Komen for the Cure Puget Sound

The organization came under fire in January when national
leaders announced they would no longer fund breast cancer
screenings for Planned Parenthood. It subsequently
reversed the decision and several national leaders
resigned.

But Shaw says the local chapter and many others opposed
the controversial decision, and warned national leaders in
December the move would have a detrimental impact.

“We were not a part of that discussion nor were we
supportive of the decision and as soon as we heard it, as
the public did at the same time, we were adamantly opposed
to it.”

Shaw says 75 percent of the money raised locally stays in
the
community to fund free mammograms for low income women in
Western Washington and other related services. She
warns many without insurance will not be able to get
screened for breast cancer if donations remain so low.

“What I ask people to do is recognize that decision is
affecting women who need our help the most,” says Shaw.

“No other organization does what we do, so to not fund us
basically pulls all funding for those women who rely on
us. The fact of the matter is that no other organization
will come to the aid of those women the way we do.”

The State Department of Health estimates approximately
1,000 women were recently on a waiting list for free
mammogram screenings. Just this month the Komen Puget
Sound chapter provided a $1.3 million grant to the DOH to
help reduce the backlog.

Connie Williams, 60, is one of them. The North
Bend caregiver doesn’t have health insurance so she had
avoided a mammogram. But she learned of the free state-
funded program and received a complementary screening,
which revealed a troubling growth in her breast.

“I just couldn’t believe that all this was done and it’s
so important because other than that, I wouldn’t have
known. Everything turned out OK, but it might not have,”
says
Williams.

“You know there’s so many women who just don’t have
medical
insurance. All these people promise us that we’re going
to have affordable insurance, but it’s just not here yet.”

While Williams has since received a clean bill of health,
Shaw worries many others won’t be. She’s pleading
with former supporters to consider the true impact of
their decision to pull their backing for the organization.

“My fear is that two years down the line, based upon
decisions that are being made today, that there will be
women who are affected by breast cancer that are late
stage that will not survive the disease,” Shaw says.