PM: Can you tell me a little about yourself?
KW: Gosh, where do I start…well, I guess first of all, it will be 17 years in January since I was diagnosed with stage II Triple negative breast cancer. I mention that, both because it is breast cancer awareness month and because since that time, the diagnosis has played a big part in how I have lived my life and what I have done with it. I work full time as an Embryologist and am a wife and mother to a 19 year old college sophomore.
I am obsessed with the color pink! I have a blog called Truly Simply Pink. I wear pink almost all the time…I did this even before I became involved in Breast cancer advocacy.
We have a puppy named Bailey and if you are a Facebook friend you are very familiar with him…lol…He is an American Eskimo and he is the miniature size about 15 pounds…and very, very, cute!
My absolute favorite TV show is NCIS…I cannot get enough of that Gibbs! I do not schedule ANY committee meetings on Tuesdays…Bones runs a close second and Baseball is my favorite sport!
PM: Can you tell me about your role in Breast Cancer Awareness?
KW: I have to think a minute to know where to start…I walked my first Susan G Komen for the Cure race in 1996. The year after I was diagnosed. The following year I volunteered…I think I thought it might be easier…lol…that is not necessarily true…lol. Things just sort of snow balled from there, and as they say, the rest is history…I have served as the Volunteer chair, the Survivor chair, the Race chair, and now the Survivor Chair again. This is all in Maryland. I am also involved on the national level. Since the beginning, I have been involved as an advocate reviewer of the scientific research grants. I serve as a peer reviewer on panels for Komen, DoD (Department of Defense) and the California Breast cancer Research Program. I really believe that if you are going to work hard to help to raise the money for research, you really should help to determine where the money is ultimately spent.
PM: Wow, you are a busy woman this month!
KW: I am also on the Advocates in Science steering committee for Komen National.
I have served on the Komen Maryland community grant review panel an also on the Maryland educational symposium committee. I have won awards along the way, but I won’t list them here… I attend symposiums to keep up to date.
I am the advocate representative to the TBCRC (Translational Breast Cancer Consortium) Representing Johns Hopkins Hospital. I am also the Johns Hopkins SPORE advocate…
PM: What can we do to help support breast cancer research?
KW: I think that if someone wants to become involved, it is really very easy to do..there are many avenues, but the one that I naturally recommend is my favorite organization…Susan G Komen for the Cure. The reason for this is simple. When monies are earned at the affiliate level, 75% of that money earned stays right there in the community. The other 25% is sent to the national program and none of that is used for overhead. Virtually all of that 25% is used to fund the the research program. Now, as is the case in Maryland, a lot of times you might end up getting the money right back in your community because we have nationally funded research programs right here at Hopkins and University of MD…Actually we receive even more than the 25% we gave to national! Not a bad deal…
As a matter of fact, the Race that I referenced earlier in this interview, actually took place today(Sunday the 23rd)…we have early estimates of upwards of 40,000 attendees! not too shabby! It would be very easy to become involved by simply volunteering at these local events. There are plenty of things leading up to the day itself and then as you can imagine thousands of volunteer opportunities on the event day itself.
There are also plenty of year round volunteer opportunities within the organization. To find an affiliate near you just head on over to the website: www.komen.org and there is a tab to hunt for a local affiliate.
PM: Why do you blog?
KW: I blog just for the fun of it really. I have always had a knack for writing and so just thought, why not?
PM: How long have you been blogging?
KW: I guess it was a year in July. That anniversary passed with out fanfare because I had to take a month long break from my little pink blog due to an illness.
PM: Is Truly Simply Pink your only blog?
KW: Yes, and I barely have time for that one.
PM: Can you tell me your least favorite and most favorite things about blogging?
KW: Well, I think my least favorite thing is trying to come up with a topic, when I feel that I need to post something just because I haven’t in a while and I owe people a post…. Conversely, my favorite thing about blogging is the creative process and the pinkness of my little corner of the blogging world.
PM: If you could give a newbie blogger some advice, what would it be?
KW: Just be yourself and write as you speak…make it a conversation with your readers…and make your blog a place you like to be.
PM: What are your favorite blogs?
KW: Hmmm, I have a few, but My favorite is French Pink Poodles and Pearls…it is just very pink a very fun.
PM: Do you belong to any other blogging communities other than MBS?
KW: I do, but I am not that active really…I do a few memes…Pink Saturday is the most regular one…for obvious reasons! The other communities are: Diva Cafe, Blogfrog, Lady Bloggers Society, STS, and Blogaholic Social Network to name a few.
PM: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. You are marvelously pink!
To find out more about Kimberly read her bio below and visit her blog: Truly Simply Pink
Kimberly Wright, Embryologist ([email protected])
Kim is 16 year breast cancer survivor. After being diagnosed at the age of 36 (while pregnant) with Triple negative breast cancer (although it was not called such at that time), Kim quickly made the decision to make breast cancer advocacy her life’s work. She became involved with Susan G Komen on the local level, both as a volunteer and as a reviewer for the local grants. Eventually Kim’s involvement evolved into reviewing research grants for many organizations including Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Kim has been a past race chair (2008/2009) for Komen Maryland. She is the current Survivor chair for the Maryland Affiliate and is a past winner of the Komen Maryland Affiliate Award (2004), the highest award bestowed upon a volunteer within the affiliate. Kim is a 1996 graduate of project LEAD and attended the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium twice on an Alamo Breast cancer Foundation scholarship. Currently Kim is a member of the Komen Advocate in Science Steering Committee. Kim is also the Johns Hopkins Advocate Representative to the TBCRC and the Advocate Member of the Johns Hopkins SPORE. All of this, in addition to holding a full time job as a Clinical Embryologist in a busy Assisted Reproductive Laboratory in the Baltimore/Washington area.
We found each others blogs at MBS