BRAVE DAY March 21st - Second Year Supporting Breast Restoration Rights for Breast Cancer Patients

VANCOUVER, Wash., March 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- BRAVE DAY is today, Thursday March 21st, the official national day to emphasize the importance of Breast Restoration Rights through a series of advocacy events throughout the United States. 

BRAVE DAY is about women and their rights.

• 1 out of every 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer
• 1 in 6 if you count DCIS (the earliest stage of the disease)
• The 5-year survival rate for early-stage, localized breast cancer is 98 percent
• 7 out of every 10 women eligible for breast reconstruction following cancer surgery are not informed about their reconstructive options.

Survival is only the first part of the healing process. To truly thrive you have to treat the whole person: body, mind and spirit. To do that, a patient needs to know exactly what resources are available and how to access resources. Many plastic and breast surgeons around the country are starting their own local charities to help women get the information they need and resources to help them in this healing process.

Husband and Wife Team, Dr. Brian Thornton, Plastic Surgeon, and Dr. Tiffany Berry, surgical breast oncologist, stated that a "Team approach between the Breast Surgeon and Plastic Surgeon with the entire multidisciplinary treatment team is key to ensuring optimal clinical outcomes."

Dr. Allen Gabriel and Dr. Cassie Gabriel, founders of Vancouver, Washington breast cancer non-profit Pink Lemonade Project, jointly stated that "BRAVE DAY serves an important day to help raise awareness so women understand their rights in general but specifically for Breast Restoration/Reconstruction, which under state and federal law mandates that insurance carriers cover the cost of reconstructive procedures." (Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998)

Dr. David Caplin, who runs Gateway to Hope in St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Renato Saltz, founder of Image Reborn in Salt Lake City, Utah, Dr. James Namnoum of Pink Ribbon Story Foundation of Atlanta, Georgia and Dr. Aldona Spiegel in Houston, Texas are more examples of other plastic surgeons working in communities to help inform patients of resources available via non-profit work.

While some women choose not to have breast reconstruction, ALL women should have the option.  A recent breast cancer reconstruction patient expressed why breast reconstruction was important to her, "To start with, it makes the woman feel whole. I had no idea what I was getting into when I learned I had breast cancer. Being able to have reconstruction has allowed me to still feel like a woman and feel like even though I had breast cancer, I do not need to be reminded of it every day. I couldn't imagine how my self-esteem would have been affected if I had not had reconstruction. It seems a bit inhumane to not have that option."

Please Visit our website – www.BRAVEDAY.org - follow us on twitter or Like us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PinkLemonadeProject

SOURCE Breast Restoration AdVocacy Education Day