beaware

Fighting a cause
Its that tIme of the year agaIn when socIetIes around the world are busy scoutIng varIous awareness strategIes for breast cancer. but for Karen al-Kharouf, the month of october alone doesnt suffIce. the non-profIt organIsatIon that she set up thInK pInK Qatar (tpQ) worKs through the year, educatIng people about breast cancer, and the annual walK held In october Is only the grand fInale, she tells Woman Today.

hen Karen AlKharoufs grandmother died of breast cancer at the age of 72, Karen assumed it to be a cause of old-age. She was young then, and was never quite aware of the disease. It was only when she got older, and had an opportunity to volunteer at the American Cancer Society in the US that she realised cancer had nothing to do with age. My grandmother had found the lump in her breast much before she was officially diagnosed, but left it unattended. By the time she went to the doctor, the lump had grown to the size of a small peach and had already affected her entire body, recalls Karen. It was then that she saw early detection as the best defence against breast cancer. TPQ was thus created to spread the

By Cassey Oliveira
word here in Qatar. TPQ is active in the community through awareness events that are partnered by local charities, NGOs, government, schools and universities. We make these events fun, but the mission remains to educate people who attend about breast cancer. There is a change that Karen notices. Women have now started to discuss more about breast cancer. They are asking questions and speaking to their doctors about it. The number of Qatari women and even men turning up for the Breast Cancer Walk has increased over the years, indicating the growing ratio of awareness in the community. Knowing that breast cancer occurs in men too, TPQ dedicated an entire campaign for men last year, educating them about the disease and continues to keep them engaged in other events as well. Family matters Lending tremendous support to her work is Karens husband and co-founder of TPQ. Since my husband is an Arab, he understands the culture well. He is the best way to get men in the community, especially Arab men, to support their wives or female relatives. Karens daughter isnt far behind. She is aware of my efforts to raise breast cancer awareness. She helps me by getting her friends at high school to speak to their mothers about the need for early detection. ters with many strong women who have relentlessly battled the disease. There are two in particular. One has survived the cancer, but went through a trauma when the cancer was advancing. She refused to give up for the sake of her children and husband. She told me that she had to live for them and fight not a battle, but a war for that. The other woman I met at a survivors meeting. She was diagnosed during her 30s with terminal breast cancer. But she is a fighter, and is still fighting. Her commitment towards life has made me appreciate life more, and fight harder to raise awareness. Its only natural for people fighting cancer to suffer from bouts of depression and a major factor for it is losing ones breast to the cancer. There might be days when women feel sad about not having their breast, but I am sure they would rather lose the breast than lose their life. Then theres always the option of having a breast reconstructive surgery. A woman who had undergone the surgery told me that she welcomed the new breast as she now has a better cup than before. Surgery or no surgery, ultimately its more important that you live than have a breast, says Karen

Karen Al-Kharouf Founder of Think Pink Qatar

Fight back Like her grandmother, Karen has had encoun-

the we walK to lIve breast cancer walK wIll be held at the doha cornIche, startIng at the museum of IslamIc art tIll the sheraton parK. the walK Is free to publIc and partIcIpants are reQuested to wear pInK to show theIr commItment towards the fIght agaInst breast cancer.

OctOber 28, 2011

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October 2011