Have you ever had to choose whether you would keep a roof over your family’s head versus paying for medical insurance? I hope not. One woman did have this dilemma and told first lady Michelle Obama about it. Tina Tchen, Michelle Obama’s chief of staff, shared the story last night during the White House Champions of Change: Leaders in the Fight against Breast Cancer event. The woman’s choice? After learning she had been dropped by her insurance when diagnosed with breast cancer, she chose a home for her family.

This was only one of many incredible stories told during this “champions” reception. The champions included activists, scientists, health care providers, leaders in their fields, and survivors — all of whom seek to inspire and empower their communities. At the event, we were told that 230,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States this year, and 110 women will die of this disease today. In 1975, one in 11 women were diagnosed with breast cancer; now it’s one in eight women.

“I decided I would live my disease out loud,” Ellen Stephenson said after letting us know treatment was no longer possible for her. “I will continue to walk the halls of Congress to do everything to influence them to use their voice to bring cancer into the history books.” I loved the concept — make cancer a thing of the past, not of the present, and especially not of the future. We then learned of the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s goal of ending breast cancer by January 1, 2020. Wow.

“Breast cancer is an expensive illness to survive,” whispered a survivor sitting next to me. A few minutes later, one of the champions said she didn’t think the public understood insurance’s lifetime limits and that “no one has the conception of the costs of cancer treatments.” Tchen also talked about the cost of treatment as she referred to the Affordable Care Act’s goals. “We only have that and will only keep it through our grassroots efforts,” she urged the attendees.

After hearing the champions’ stories, Tchen asked them what best practices would they recommend. Here’s what they said:

• Give patients time to understand the decisions facing them and take away the fear of the unknown.
• We need to reach people where they are and provide training to be more culturally sensitive.
• Resources need to be focused, interdisciplinary specialists need to come together, and health care providers need to work closer together.
• Make sure educated advocates are involved in research decisions, including what gets priority and what gets funding.
• Is every mammogram created equal? Cancer diagnoses are more likely to be “missed” in poorer communities or for the uninsured.
• The subject of the current drug shortage issue was raised: “Make sure decisions are made with what’s best for me, not what’s available at the pharmacy.”

One of the champions even asked if the “first grandmother” could do a public service announcement or if any of the “first anybodys” could! Chuckles erupted, breaking the intensity. I can tell you there were few dry eyes in the house, including mine, as we heard these amazing women tell of their research, advocacy, or education efforts. Especially inspiring, most of the advocates continued their work through their own battles with breast cancer.

AAUW was invited to this reception for our own efforts on behalf of women, families, and health issues. Help us keep up that reputation — take a moment to take action!

Have your own story? Please share.

Cross posted from the AAUW blog.