M. D. Anderson Receives Hand-Crafted Quilt from Local Girl Scouts

At a recent ceremony, members of San Jacinto Girl Scout Council Troop 5767 presented their handcrafted quilt to M.D. Anderson Cancer Center as a tribute to breast cancer survivors. Pictured with the troup are Dr. John Mendelsohn, president of M. D. Anderson, and Dr. Gabriel Hortobagyi, chief of breast medical oncology.

When members of Katy-area San Jacinto Girl Scout Council Troop 5767 decided to learn to sew, they didn't expect that their first effort would end up on public display.

Inspired by their leader who was fighting breast cancer, each member of the troop learned to sew by creating a quilt square featuring a pink ribbon. The ribbons were cut from pieces of their own clothing.

The squares were assembled to form a 25-square-foot commemorative quilt honoring breast cancer survivors. At a recent ceremony, it was hung as a permanent tribute in The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center's Nellie B. Connally Breast Center.

"I'm impressed that these young women have taken an interest in breast cancer awareness. Their hard work and dedication in this project is to be commended," says Dr. Gabriel Hortobagyi, chief of breast medical oncology at M. D. Anderson.

To present the quilt, the members of Troop 5767 were joined by Tisha Bell, chair of the San Jacinto Girl Scout Council Breast Cancer Awareness Committee, and Carolyn Johnson, chair of the San Jacinto Girl Scout Council New Initiatives Program. Dr. Edgardo Rivera, assistant professor in breast medical oncology at M. D. Anderson, accepted the quilt on behalf of M. D. Anderson.

Dr. John Mendelsohn, president of M. D. Anderson, was presented with the San Jacinto Girl Scout Council's Board Award for community leadership in recognition of M. D. Anderson's community breast cancer education efforts.

The quilting project, Patchwork Promise, is a part of "In the Pink," a collaborative program between the San Jacinto Girl Scout Council and M. D. Anderson designed to educate senior-level girl scouts about breast cancer. The most significant achievement of the partnership has been the creation of the nation's first Breast Cancer Awareness Interest Project, which includes a Breast Cancer Awareness Patch. To earn the patch, girls must complete skill building, technology, and career exploration activities in addition to a cancer-related service project.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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