About PinkPal™

PinkPal™ is a one-on-one supportive resource for young women at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer. Each “Participant” is paired with a “PinkPal™” who provides the individual with positive support and encouragement. Specifically, this relationship affords the opportunity for Participants to obtain guidance and support from PinkPals™ who are uniquely familiar with their situation and are currently doing well. For instance, someone who is considering genetic testing may wish to speak with someone who has already been through the process.

The nature of each relationship is completely up to the discretion of each one-on-one pair. Participants and PinkPals™ may communicate by phone, email, or if possible they may meet in-person. Each pair has the freedom to determine the depth and extent of their relationship.

The PinkPal™ program is 100% free of charge. Participation is not limited to specific geographic locations. Bright Pink does not turn anyone away, and will accommodate the needs of each individual to the best of our ability.

How It Works

As a Participant you will first need to complete the online sign up form by clicking here.

When completing the sign-up form, you will be asked for details regarding your current situation as it relates to your risk of breast and ovarian cancer. This will aid us in determining a close match with one of our PinkPals™.

Furthermore, you will be given the option of specifying what kind of support or information you are trying to obtain. For example, someone who has tested positive for the BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 genes may be considering preventative surgery and would like to speak with someone who has already undergone the procedure. You are welcome to be as specific as possible, and we will do our best to provide a close match.

You will also be asked to provide general information including age, location, contact information, and whether you have preferences or restrictions on how you would like to be contacted by our PinkPals. For instance, some Participants may wish to only be contacted through email.

Next, a PinkPal™ staff member will search our database to find an appropriate PinkPal™ whose experiences most closely match those of the Participant. Once a match has been made, we will contact both the Participant and PinkPal™ with the necessary contact information as well as a general overview about each of their experiences. Finally, we expect the PinkPal™ to make initial contact with the Participant by email in order to introduce themselves. The rest is up to each individual pair! However, the PinkPal™ staff is always here to answer any questions or to provide any further guidance.

If you have any questions or concerns about the PinkPal™ program, feel free to contact the PinkPal™ staff at Liz@BeBrightPink.org.

Becoming a PinkPal

As a PinkPal™ you will be able to provide beneficial support to women at high risk by sharing your own personal experiences.

You will be asked to complete an online sign-up form, where you will be asked to describe your experiences as they relate to risk of breast and ovarian cancer. This will aid us in determining a close “match” with one of our Participants.

Once your information has been evaluated, you will receive the PinkPal™ Training Manual that you are required to review. You will then need to participate in a teleconference training session which will involve a discussion of supportive techniques, program expectations, and role-playing. Once you have successfully met these requirements you will be matched to a Participant.

The PinkPal™ staff has put a lot of thought into the criteria that a candidate must possess in order to be qualified to become a PinkPal™. In order to be considered a candidate, it is critical that you possess the following characteristics:

• Has partnered with one or more medical professionals to develop a strategy for assessing and being proactive with one’s risk of developing breast/ovarian cancer.
• Is high risk for breast and ovarian cancer and has undergone genetic testing with positive, negative, or inconclusive results.
  

• Is at least 6 months post genetic testing.
• Is at least 6 months post cancer treatment (if a cancer survivor).

***In order to become a PinkPal™, you must fit all criteria above.

If you are interested in becoming a PinkPal™, please indicate that you are a Young Woman who is/may be at high risk in the first question and click here.