Though Muriel Saunders of Muskogee is not a breast cancer survivor, she is one of three women who founded Women Who Care, a local organization that raises funds to provide mammograms for women who don’t have insurance.
Saunders did have cervical cancer in 1965, but hers was caught early thanks to regular medical exams.
Consequently, she advocates for women to have regular check-ups because early detection is the key to survival, she said.
Saunders, Wren Stratton, and Cassandra Gaines co-founded the organization in response to a growing group of women without health insurance or the means to get mammograms.
Gaines, manager of Muskogee Civic Center, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000.
The first two people she called were her daughter and Stratton.
“I was getting ready to tune up and cry, and Wren said, 'I hate that this happened to you, but cut it out. You are a voice in the community now,'” Gaines said. “She wanted to reach out to minority women and told me I was going to be the voice.”
Later, they sat down with Saunders and discussed exactly how they were going to reach out to the community and serve.
Women Who Care began with the three women raising money through luncheons and donations to pay a mobile mammogram unit from Tulsa to come to the Praise Center Family Church.
After two or three years, they decided it could all be done in Muskogee.
“So, we teamed up with Providence Radiology. They pay for one woman, and we pay for the next and so on, which is a blessing,” Gaines said.
The three co-founders decided to form a committee of breast cancer survivors to help with the cause, and though they only raise funds for mammograms, they also offer personal support to breast cancer patients.
“Ones that are going through it call us or Wren,” Gaines said. “We talk to them, give them prayer, give them hope.”
Gaines feels called by God to be a spokeswoman for minority women with breast cancer because they tend to be high risk for the disease, she said.
In the past, it was uncommon for an African-American woman to make it known that she had breast cancer. It was simply a taboo subject, Gaines explained.
Since she became public with her own battle with the disease, Gaines has seen a tremendous outpouring of minority women coming forward and saying that they too have had breast cancer.
“We fear the unknown. Sometimes it's just cultural, and we don't want to hear about cancer. We just want to have faith,” Gaines said. “Then, some women just wait until they're sick to get a physical.”
As Women Who Care has became better known in the community, donations from groups and individuals have increased, she said.
Julie Ledbetter and her friend, Jana King, approached the Women Who Care founders about hosting a fundraiser for their cause.
Ledbetter and King both wanted to do something special for breast cancer awareness in Muskogee, and found the Women Who Care group through research.
“We got some volunteers together and formed a committee,” Ledbetter said.
They hosted their first fundraiser four years ago, a fashion show and luncheon at Arrowhead Mall.
All proceeds of their annual event benefit Women Who Care, and today the event brings more than 30 volunteers out to help.
“We have 25 models that have or are battling breast cancer for the fashion show,” Ledbetter said. “We have such a good group of people that are involved.”
Last year, the group added a bra art auction to the event, and this year, KOTV’s LeAnne Taylor from “Six in the Morning” is the guest speaker at the luncheon.