PITTSBURGH – When Diana Napper lost her best friend to breast cancer in 1990, she vowed to honor her memory by beginning a crusade to stop the countless tears shed over the disease. In 1994, she created the Glimmer of Hope Foundation, which has raised more that $2.7 million for breast cancer research to date. This year, the organization has hit yet another major milestone and achieved a national first.
This past October, the Pittsburgh-based organization donated $171,000 to Allegheny Health Network’s Wexford Health + Wellness Pavilion to be the first center in the nation to install SenoClaire, a state-of-the- art mammogram utilizing three-dimensional imaging technology. The device is now fully operational.
SenoClaire, manufactured by General Electric Company (GE), uses a low-dose short X-ray sweep around the positioned breast. The result is nine exposures acquired with a “step-and-shoot” method, removing the potential motion from the tube helping to reduce blur and increase image sharpness.
With mammograms screened utilizing SenoClaire, radiation levels are kept as low as possible. There is no increase in radiation to patients from a standard 2-D to the 3-D view. For patients with average and larger breasts (45 mm), SenoClaire’s 3-D view dose is at least 40% lower than other 3-D breast tomosynthesis available in the U.S.1
“Early detection of breast cancer was one of the primary reasons that Glimmer of Hope was founded,” said Napper. “We are thrilled to help finance the first facility in the nation to provide SenoClaire 3-D mammography to women.”
Her friend Carol Jo was only 50 years old when she succumbed to the cruel disease. Because of this, Napper believes that early detection and better screening may have spared her friend. Although busy with her own life, juggling a family with four children, she decided to pursue her dream in memory of her dear friend.
Napper, a budding jewelry designer, focused her efforts on creating a unique piece of jewelry to raise money, awareness, and to honor everyone whose lives have been touched by breast cancer. In 1994, she created “A Glimmer of Hope” pin featuring a teardrop Swarovski crystal (to symbolize the tears shed over the disease), topped with a pearl (representing hope). The foundation recently expanded the jewelry collection by adding a bracelet to compliment the pin. The money raised through the sale of the pins and the bracelets has gone to fund breast cancer research.
About Glimmer of Hope
Glimmer of Hope is a Pennsylvania non-profit organization that has been supporting breast cancer research since 1994. The organization has raised more than $2.4 million to further fund one of the highest impact studies for premenopausal breast cancer patients in the United States. For more information, please visit www.symbolofthecure.com.
Barbara Jacoby is an award winning blogger that has contributed her writings to multiple online publications that have touched readers worldwide.