As leaves start to change into their autumn array of colors and the sun settles earlier in the day, we shift our moods from cook outs, water activities and the sun’s splendor, to football games, leaf raking and hay rides.

We flip the calendar and it’s October! Did you know Child Health Day is recognized the first Monday of October  – the 7^th this year? October is the month children are taught about Christopher Columbus. It is also the month we recognize the efforts of the United Nations, honor our bosses, and debate with significant others about the importance of Sweetest Day.

The things mentioned above aren’t the only things remembered during October. It is the time of year we shine a brighter light on the prevention of Breast Cancer and when YWCAs across the country take a stand Against Domestic Violence! The week of October 14 is the Week Without Violence.

Most of us know a little something about breast cancer, but did you know…

• The youngest known survivor of breast cancer is Aleisha Hunter from Ontario, Canada. At only three years old, Aleisha underwent a complete mastectomy in 2010 to treat her juvenile strain of breast cancer
• Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among American women after skin cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women after lung cancer.
• The first operation to use anesthesia was a breast cancer surgery.
• The incidence of breast cancer is highest in more developed countries and lowest in less developed countries.
• Breast cancer affects the left breast slightly more than the right
• The left breast is statistically more prone to developing cancer than the right breast. Scientists are unsure why.
• In the US, an average of 112 women die of breast cancer every day, or one every 15 minutes.
• The United States has the most cases of breast cancer in the world.

What do you know about domestic violence? According to the Domestic Violence Project…

• 25% of all women will be victims of domestic violence in their lifetime.
• 1 in 4 teens is shown to be a victim of dating violence.
• Each year, domestic violence costs over $4 billion in healthcare costs and billions more in workplace absenteeism and lost productivity.
• 60% of victims cited job loss, including being suspended and fired, as a direct or indirect result of domestic violence.
• Pregnant women are more likely to be victims of homicide than to die of any other cause.
• 75% of domestic violence related deaths occur during or after leaving.
• Adults who physically abuse their partners typically enacted a first episode of dating violence by age 15.

Now shift your train of thought. Think about how wonderful it would be to prevent either one of these occurrences.  Then ask yourself! What am I doing to contribute to finding a cure for breast cancer? And how can I help put an end to domestic violence?

If you or someone you know is in need of assistance in coping with either of these situations, reach out for support! For information on breast health or breast cancer, contact the YWCA’s Women’s Health Outreach of Seattle by calling 206-461-4489. For support for domestic violence, call Washington State Domestic Violence Hotline, 8am-5pm every day at 800-562-6025 or the National Domestic Violence 24 hour Hotline at 330-453-7253!

Happy Halloween! 🙂