Nancy Goodman Brinker is good at keeping her promises.
In 1982, as her sister Susan Goodman Komen was dying at age 36 from breast cancer, Brinker promised her that she would marshal all of her organizational and fundraising skills ― and they are indeed prodigious ― to wage war against the killer cancer.
That promise turned into the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, now known simply as Susan G. Komen, which in turn grew into the world’s largest breast cancer movement, raising billions of dollars for research, treatment and awareness while transforming how women talked about the formerly unspeakable disease.
Then breast cancer came looking for Brinker. It found her.
But the advances in early detection, medicine and especially healthcare access in the years since her sister’s death gave Brinker a fighting chance. She is officially a survivor.
In 2018, she founded the Promise Fund Florida to give the same fighting chance to women with limited or no access to healthcare.
“Early detection saves lives,” Brinker said. “For women who lack access to care, screenings can mean the difference between life and death. ”
The fund’s mission is to increase survivorship from breast and cervical cancer by providing guided support and access to screenings, as well as early detection, treatment and beyond. The model was designed to give women the chance to attain health care, regardless of who they are, where they live, or their level of income.
Brinker and her son Eric, vice chair of the Promise Fund, recently sealed their commitment with a $1 million leadership gift to expand screening, patient navigation and follow-up care for women across South Florida who might otherwise go without lifesaving services..
The muti-generational gift from the Goodman-Brinker Family Foundation was announced at the Promise Fund of Florida’s annual Major Donors Dinner, held March 9 at Club Colette. Mother and son made the announcement together.
“I grew up watching my mom dedicate her life to fulfilling the promise she made to my Aunt Susan,” Eric Brinker said. “Supporting the Promise Fund is deeply personal for our family. It ensures that the progress made in research and awareness translates into real access to care for women who need it most.”
His mother mentioned similar goals.
“The Promise Fund is ensuring that women receive the screenings and follow-up support they need, and our family is proud to stand behind that work.” Nancy Brinker said. “We hope others who care about women’s health will join us in expanding this lifesaving effort.”
David Brodsky, who chairs board of the Promise Fund, called mother and son “the driving force behind this mission from the very beginning.”
Brodsky added: “Their leadership and generosity are helping expand access to lifesaving screenings and care for women across South Florida.”
Nancy Brinker is a longtime Palm Beacher who served as U.S. ambassador to Hungary and as the U.S. State Department’s chief of protocol.
In 2009, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Barack Obama in recognition of her global leadership in breast cancer advocacy.
Through education and outreach, Promise Fund has engaged more than 66,000 women in South Florida, including nearly 20,000 women who have been screened and 249 women who have received cancer treatment.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Nancy Brinker, son give $1M to Promise Fund for cancer screenings
Reporting by Shannon Donnelly, Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
