How We Started
Reach to Recovery was started in 1952 in the USA when Mrs Terese Lasser, a mastectomy patient, realised that not enough was being done for those whose lives had changed dramatically after breast cancer. She understood the importance of the role that personal support - by women who had experienced breast cancer - played in helping newly diagnosed women return to their previous life as quickly as possible after their surgery.

Mrs Lasser visited South Africa in 1967 and Reach for Recovery was established shortly afterwards. South Africa was one of the first countries to establish a similar programme to the one that was launched in America.

Reach to Recovery is now coordinated by the Queensland Cancer Council in Brisbane, Australia and is known as Reach to Recovery International (RRI).

Reach for Recovery is thus affiliated to Reach to Recovery International (RRI) which is a comprehensive non-medical programme created to help women with breast cancer. It is a self help group based on the premise that former breast cancer patients, now physically and emotionally healthy can relate in a unique and positive way to new patients with breast cancer.

There are no charges. Reach for Recovery is a free and voluntary support group. The group’s service is available with her doctor’s approval, or to any women who requests it.

Reach for Recovery receives no state funding. It is registered as a Public Benefit Organisation (P.B.O No 930 011 568) and as a Non-Profit Organisation (N.P.O. 043-723-NPO)

Services
The services provided by Reach for Recovery are: Visitation:
Volunteers, who are trained breast cancer survivors, visit patients in hospital, either before or after their operation. Emotional and practical support is provided at this time and if necessary at any later stage.

Literature:
Patients are supplied with a booklet and pamphlets dealing with various topics relevant to breast cancer patients. They receive a soft prosthesis (temporary breast form), a cushion for under arm comfort and a bag to contain the port-au-vac drain.

Meetings:
Monthly or bi-monthly support meetings are held, where topics of interest are discussed.

State Hospitals:
Volunteers attend the breast clinics at state hospitals to offer emotional and practical support.

Prostheses:
Permanent prostheses (silicone) are offered to non medical aid patients where funds permit.

Prosthesis Fitting:
Many groups offer a Prosthesis Fitting service.

Breast Cancer Awareness:
Volunteers actively work for breast cancer awareness through talks to encourage breast cancer self examination and outreach programmes into all communities.