A new EHS club has drawn back the hot pink colored curtain on breast cancer awareness and is working towards helping local patients on their journey.

Less than a month ago, senior Gabriella Regalado founded the Breast Cancer Awareness Club (BCA), which now has 60 members.

In the United States, one in eight women will develop breast cancer and this year, about 41,760 women will die from it, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF).

BCA Club plans to team up with the OSF Moeller Cancer Center (OSFMCC) to assist people who have been diagnosed with various forms of cancer.

Regalado said that the club is currently putting together gift baskets for the patients and will have fundraisers to support the cancer center. Items in the baskets will include snacks and personal care products.

According to the World Health Organization, “Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands of women each year.”

Regalado was already knowledgeable about this form of cancer.

She said that the reason she founded the club was because her grandmother is a stage 2 breast cancer survivor and has been clear for about a year.

Witnessing her grandmother’s struggle and strength motivated her to help others and it pours into her commitment to BCA Club.

“She’s done a really good job at organizing the club and coming up with ideas to get information out to the girls [about] events to raise awareness,” club sponsor Tiffany McBride said. “I’m very impressed with her dedication.”

It’s important that people are properly informed about the potential causes of breast cancer and ways to help avoid it. Regalado had a representative from the OSFMCC attend a BCA Club meeting.

“I’m working with [a representative] to possibly have members be Team Help Juniors and she’s going to come in and talk to us about prevention and how we can raise money,” Regalado said.

A small amount of help and knowledge has the potential to make a large impact on someone.

According to NBCF, “Death rates from breast cancer have been declining since about 1990, in part due to better screening, early detection, increased awareness, and continually improving treatment options.”