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SOS Breast Cancer Hotline — Connecting Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Women across Bosnia and Herzegovina now have a new tool to fight breast cancer—a toll free SOS Hotline. Created to offer the women of the country a non-intimidating source for information and support, the hotline is staffed with volunteers who are themselves breast cancer survivors. Though not trained in medicine, the warm voices that answer the phones offer something equally essential, an empathetic ear. The volunteers are equipped for any question that a caller may have thanks to a Resource Guide published with the help of the Women's Health Empowerment Program (WHEP), a partnership between JDC and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. The Resource Guide covers each kanton (province), providing information on local doctors who treat breast cancer; where to go for a mammogram, radiation therapy and chemotherapy; locations of medical institutes; instructions for doing a self-exam as well as many other frequently asked questions.
The Women's Health Empowerment Program uses a "peer support" model through which women who have had breast cancer are trained to provide information and support to others similarly diagnosed. This Program builds leadership, creates new services (such as support groups and hotlines), strengthens doctor-patient communication, and facilitates partnerships among government agencies, NGOs and the medical and health community. The SOS hotline is off to a good start, due in large to a recent media outreach campaign. The telephone number is being advertised on television news programs, in newspapers and on the radio. Within the first 9 days of operation, the SOS hotline received 28 callers. The volunteers - a diverse group of women who are from different socio-economic, religious and regional backgrounds - all share one undeniable truth: they are all survivors as breast cancer does not discriminate. 
It all happened very fast for Shukrata. At 57, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and three days later she was in surgery having a mastectomy. A widow of 26 years, Shukrata found herself in a state of depression. Fortuitously, her neighbor was the President of the Women's Group in her town and she suggested that Shukrata join.
Today, Shukrata is a different person. Full of energy and passion she is an active member of the group and has attended two training conferences through the Women's Health Empowerment Program. After a recent training conference in Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Shukrata shared her eagerness for the hotline to open: "I listened very carefully to what was discussed and can now share that knowledge with others." Meeting different people from across the region was also a significant part of the event for Shukrata, a Muslim woman, "I felt extremely welcomed." "I met so many other members of organizations — we are breathing as if part of one soul." Shukrata knows that the skills and information she has to share will save lives. Her training has already paid off as she has taught her children the importance of self exams and one of her daughters has already undergone two lumpectomies. Like Shukrata, Hatidza has also already touched lives with the tools she gained as a volunteer for the Women's Health Empowerment Program. In 2004, Hatidza's life was turned upside down -- in span of a week she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. Today, she has come to terms with her illness and knows that there are many years ahead. Recently, Hatidza 's sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. Hatidza was there, armed with the tools she learned from the WHEP program to offer support, understanding and information to her sister when she needed it most. Beyond being an empathetic ear to her sister, Hatidza says, "I am an example of survivorship". Both Hatidza and Shukrata are fortunate to live have a place to go and meet with other breast cancer patients and survivors. Hatidza's sister lives in Orashie where there is no such support group — but this is about to change. Wanting the same for her sister, Hatidza plans to start a women's breast cancer support group in Orashie. "The women's group is special" says Hatidza, "no one pities me here — I am not treated as an invalid." All of the women volunteering at the SOS hotline have their own story of how the support of the women's group has changed their lives. Hatidza and Shukrata are but two of the 10 volunteers who have taken their illness and struggle and have turned it into an opportunity to support one another as well as others. The WHEP program has proven successful in uniting women from different backgrounds around the issue of breast cancer survivorship. The WHEP program began in the Czech Republic in 1995 and has since been replicated in countries such as Israel, Ukraine and Hungary. The program began in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2004. |
