By Joyell Nevins

Hannah Martine is a young, single professional from North Park. In August 2015, she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer — at age 29. With all of her family living in Wisconsin, she felt all alone.

The weekend after her diagnosis, Martine was volunteering at the Green Flash Brewery Treasure Chest Fest and saw that Susan G. Komen San Diego had a booth set up.

“I walked over and said, ‘I’m new to the club, and I’m freaking out,’” Martine recalled.

Komen SD took her right into their fold. They provided her with support and financial services, since Martine only had one source of income, and if she wasn’t working there was no money coming in. They pointed her in the right direction for the resources she needed.

“My aunt used to say, ‘If we all link arms together and kick, we’ll keep each other afloat,’” Martine said.

She credits Komen SD and a terrific group of friends for keeping her afloat. Now Martine’s cancer is in remission: With stage 4, that means the cancer is never fully eliminated, but the immune system is currently strong enough to keep it at bay.

Komen in San Diego

Susan G. Komen San Diego opened 21 years ago to help the uninsured and underinsured receive the services they need in the fight against breast cancer. Since then, the affiliate has raised more than $11.5 million to help local women and their families.

One of their primary fundraisers is Race for the Cure, happening on Sunday, Nov. 6, in Balboa Park.

Of every dollar raised through the race, 25 cents goes into the national Susan G. Komen Foundation pool to support research for new drugs and treatment and ultimately, a cure. The other 75 cents stays in house and funds the Komen SD mission. None of the race profits goes to support the administrative or marketing side — all of that is covered by corporate sponsors.

Komen SD provides mammograms and diagnostic screenings. They’ve helped lobby for legislation such as the recently amended Every Woman Counts. They offer assistance with food, finances, transportation, and education for parents and families.

That’s a lot for one organization to take on and do well. But here’s the kicker — Komen SD doesn’t provide these services themselves: They work as a giant network to get women the resources they need.

“We’re like a navigation system,” explained Laura Farmer, Sherman Komen SD president and CEO. “We’re not the experts [on services], but we’re experts on breast cancer, we’re experts on the needs in San Diego.”

How does it work?

Komen SD is an expert at identifying a need and finding a way to fill it — “bridging barriers to care,” as Sherman puts it. Every two years, they have a “needs assessment” summit. The leadership determines what the holes in services are, and what San Diego women and families specifically need in the fight against breast cancer. This time around, those barriers that need to be bridged include under-insurance, lack of time and transportation, illiteracy, low finances, diagnostics, lack of support, issues with HMOs and cultural barriers.

What Komen SD doesn’t do is assume that they know the best solution to meet that need. Once a year, the organization sends out detailed requests for grant proposals from local nonprofits. It’s a blind and “extremely competitive” grant process, Sherman said.

That’s how Community Health Imaging Centers was able to get up and running the first and only Mobile Mammography Coach in San Diego. One of the problems Komen SD identified was early detection, which is a key to longer life expectancy. However, it was a hassle for women to schedule the appointment, go down to the hospital, experience the uncomfortable machine; plus, you have to have the money or insurance to pay for it.

So with funding from Komen SD, the Imaging Centers built a portable mammogram — a bus equipped with Hologic Genius 3D Tomosynthesis technology to detect tiny breast carcinomas: catch cancer before it spreads! The coach has shown up at grocery stores, churches, shopping outlets and special events — and is always free.

You’ve got a friend in me

Along with all the physical services, Komen SD also has built an emotional support network — a safety net for anyone on this journey.

That’s one of the reasons Martine first reached out to them. Martine is this year’s honorary Survivor of the Year for the Race – and shocked to be in the limelight.

“I always felt like I was more of the background dancer versus the karaoke singer,” Martine said. “But this is my way of turning a negative into a positive. I’m trying to bust the myth of what a cancer survivor looks like.”

How can you help?

First, if you have a friend or loved one who is fighting cancer, don’t draw away.

“The best thing is to be supportive and be there,” Martine said.

Sherman, who fought her first battle with breast cancer in 2003 and was rediagnosed in November 2015, adds to this the importance of leaning in.

“The hardest thing (for someone) to do is ask for help,” she said. “So rather than say ‘let me know if you need anything,’ offer something concrete.”

Martine agrees and points to friends who came over and did her dishes, did her laundry, or walked her dog — often without her even asking ahead of time.

Join in the support network and fight to find a cure at the Race for the Cure, which is still seeking individuals and teams to run. The ceremonies start on Race Day at 7 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 6, so if that’s too early for you, Komen SD also has a “sleep in for the cure” program. Sleep-ers pay for registration and get a lovely T-shirt and a door knocker that says “Don’t Wake Me! I’m Sleeping In for the Cure.”

For more information or to register, visit komensandiego.org, call 858-573-2760 or follow Komen San Diego on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

—Joyell Nevins is a freelance writer who can be reached at [email protected]. Find her blog “Small World, Big God” at swbgblog.wordpress.com.