About our project
What do we know about women? Women love doing research, they love asking questions and getting answers, and they love being in control.
Breast cancer is one of the scariest experiences a woman can endure – the rapidly changing circumstances uncertainty, and loss of control can be disempowering.
That’s why I created i.T.H.R.I.V.E™ – the Internet Tool for Health, Recovery, Information, Vitality, and Empowerment. It is an e-health portal that gives women answers, resources, and a community to help them thrive during and after their breast cancer journey.
Through our R3 philosophy – i.T.H.R.I.V.E™ empowers women to take control of their breast cancer rather than it controlling them.
A Personal Story
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2008. I assumed once my treatment as over, that I could resume my life as I knew it – pick up where I left off and just move forward.
It wasn’t that simple and it wasn’t easy.
Women who have dealt with breast cancer know – functioning physically and mentally like we did before B.C. (breast cancer), once treatment is over can be a struggle.
For me, a lack of stamina and energy was only a part of it – I felt incapacitated, disempowered, and depressed
Like so many other women before me, I was inspired to do something to help the millions of my fellow survivors recover from breast cancer treatment, restore themselves and their lives back to normal, and get reenergized after treatment.
Founding Breast Cancer Partner, i.T.H.R.I.V.E
I created Breast Cancer Partner (BCP), a for-profit entity that designs, develops, and delivers health and wellness education programs for women diagnosed with breast cancer. There are approximately 3 million breast cancer survivors in the US, with over 200,000 women being diagnosed annually.
The goal of BCP is to empower women with the knowledge and tools to care for themselves; to take the reigns in uncertain times; to assuage their anxiety with information; and to minimize their feelings of despair by embracing them through a community of others like them.
Our programs encourage positive health and lifestyle behavior changes to enhance survivors’ quality of life and minimize the risk of recurrence. We use an integrative and holistic approach to help women enhance their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Our tools encourage women to make positive decisions and lifestyle behavior changes.
BCP lets women like me, breast cancer patients and survivors, regain control and power; decision-making reminds us that we are strong, capable, enduring and vivacious.
A Patient Testimonial
I once received a personal note that read:
“I had been stalled in my journey to move from a cancer patient to a survivor, to start to restore myself; that is, until I went to your program, the Yoga Experience for Breast Cancer Survivors.
I had no idea how to move forward, to make my situation a more positive experience until the event today. Of course, I had vowed to live a better life, eat better, exercise more, and become more deeply and emotionally involved in the people I love and meet, and was doing these things, but the spiritual aspect was missing. I thank you kindly for the experience.“
My mission became focused on reaching as many women as possible, wherever they are in the world, so that they won’t have to feel alone or helpless.
What i.T.H.R.I.V.E is All About
“i.T.H.R.I.V.E™ will be one of the most well established, widely used, and robust virtual community and resource centers available to patients.”
i.T.H.R.I.V.E™ is an innovative, web-based health and wellness tool for women diagnosed with breast cancer designed for use at all phases of their breast cancer journey.
i.T.H.R.I.V.E™ addresses a critical need among the growing number of breast cancer survivors seeking a reliable source for specific information on breast cancer related:
- treatment and procedures,
- exercise and fitness,
- alternative treatments or medicine &
- anxiety, stress, depression or mental health issues
This information will guide their decision-making in creating successful strategies for their disease management, treatment and recovery.
What Makes the i.T.H.R.I.V.E Unique?
i.T.H.R.I.V.E™ provides a virtual wellness education experience that leverages innovative web-based technologies, hundreds of resources, and interactive tools to create a dynamic knowledge community that promotes health education and self care.
i.T.H.R.I.V.E™ will include a proprietary health and wellness planning tool that enables women to engage in disease management and self-care/self efficacy strategies throughout their breast cancer journeys.
This is the new design for the i.T.H.R.I.V.E™ Homepage:
This is the new design for the i.T.H.R.I.V.E™ Dashboard:
What Problem Are We Solving? The Quality of Care Standard
It is my, and the experience of hundreds of other women, that the current “standard of care” model doesn’t address our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
Because of this, many of us may suffer in silence and develop other chronic health conditions, or succumb to breast cancer unnecessarily..
When women take control of their own physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being, they greatly enhance their quality of life, ensure their long-term survivorship, enhance outcomes, and minimize the risk of recurrence.
Why i.T.H.R.I.V.E is SO Important?
Research has shown the importance of health, wellness and lifestyle management in minimizing the risk of a first time breast cancer diagnosis as well as recurrence, and in improving outcomes and enhancing long-term survivorship.
In fact, about 30% of cancer deaths are due to the five leading behavioral and dietary risks factors: high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, tobacco use, and alcohol use.
All of these factors increase a survivors’ risk of recurrence, but they are controllable. So, it is critical that women diagnosed with breast cancer know how to effectively manage the risk factors they can control, and become more proactive about their health and wellness.
If women diagnosed with breast cancer have a better understanding of how to manage nutrition habits, engage in physical activity and adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors they will be able to optimize their health and wellness, regardless of where they are in their journey.
This education process is lacking in the current “standard of care” model and treatment approach. However, these behaviors are essential to successfully endure and recover from treatment.
i.T.H.R.I.V.E™ will provide the information, tools, and resources that will educate and empower women diagnosed with breast cancer on how to have more control over their disease rather than it controlling her.
How Will We Use Your Contributions?
I am excited to have the privilege of being part of the first class of the Miami Launch Pad Tech Accelerator Program. BCP will be one of 20 startup companies selected to participate in the Community Program, which will provide access to the Launch Pad Tech 12 week program, events, support, and a workspace called the Venture Hive.
So far, we have the existing BCP website, which will be redesigned once i.T.H.R.I.V.E™ is fully developed and ready to launch. In the meantime, Phase I of the i.T.H.R.I.V.E™ development process – the design architecture for functionality – is COMPLETE.
Your contributions will be used to fund Phase II of the development process. Phase II will create the visual prototype to bring the design architecture and user interface to life. Phase II will require $50-60,000 to develop the prototype and conduct a “test drive” with actual breast cancer survivors.
This is a critical part of the process that will help us validate and finalize what women diagnosed with breast cancer will really need i.T.H.R.I.V.E™ to do for them in terms of its functionality and programming requirements, and to make sure that we get it right the first time.
Phase III, the development and commercialization of i.T.H.R.I.V.E™, will follow.
Your contribution will make a significant difference in the lives of the 1 in 8 women who will become diagnosed with breast cancer.
The Rewards We’re Offering to You
The Recover, Restore & Reenergize T-Shirt, popularized by the amazing Joss Stone
A One Year Subscription to MORE Magazine
The Breast Cancer Partner Prescription Savings Card — Save up to 55% off the price of generic prescriptions and up to 15% on brand prescriptions at pharmacies across the nation. Discounts apply to brand names, generics, even pet medications.
A Guided Meditations CD to De-Stress, Relax, Release Tension and Feel Lighter
A ONE YEAR individual, family, or corporate membership to Activ Doctors Online, a secure way to access your Personal Health Records (PHR) online and get a second medical opinion from a world class physician.
An Awareness Ribbon Half Dollar Pendant.
A 4Everactive Gift Basket
A SpaFinder Wellness Gift Card, redeemable at over 20,000 Spas, Yoga, Pilates, & Fitness Studios Worldwide.
A Wellness Weekend Getaway for 2 at Canyon Ranch, Miami Beach. Includes a 1 room, 2 night stay and a Meditation and Relaxation, Stress Management, and Healthy Lifestyle session, and a $250 spa credit person.
Get in Touch with Us & Spread the Word
Visit Our Website : www.breastcancerpartner.com
Join Us on Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/BreastCancerPartner
Follow Us on Twitter : http://twitter.com/BrstCancerPrtnr
Read Our Blog : http://breastcancerpartner.com/blog/
Watch Us On Youtube : http://www.youtube.com/user/BreastCancerPartner
Board With Us on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/breast-cancer-partner/
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Have a question?
If the info above does not help, you can ask the project creator directly.
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