Bosom Buddies Charities

2021-2022 Board: Jodie Gray, Jennifer DiDonato, Jenny Griffin (Secretary), Claudia Boldyga (Chair), Karen White (Treasurer), Christina Cugle (Vice Chair), and Beth Wieczorek.

WHAT INSPIRES US!
 

The establishment of Bosom Buddies Charities was the fulfillment of a long-time dream of Queen Anne’s County resident Susan Ponchock. After surviving an aggressive breast cancer diagnosis over 26 years ago, she founded Bosom Buddies Charities in 2006 to raise breast cancer awareness and provide diagnostic services to the residents of the Eastern Shore. In the last 15 years, the organization has raised over $2 million in support of her mission. Susan passed away on March 19, 2021. Susan was enormously proud of what Bosom Buddies Charities has accomplished and grateful to all the people who helped her make it a powerful voice in advancing awareness and treatment. Building upon Susan’s legacy, Bosom Buddies Charities will continue to advance her mission to make a difference for this important cause. We are all grateful for having had the opportunity to know Susan, and her memory will continue to inspire all of us to live our lives as she did – with love, laughter and joy for life.

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Below are some of the organizations and programs we have been able to support of the past 15 years:

•  Grants been given to the Luminis Health AAMC's Geaton & JoAnn Decesaris Cancer Institute, the Rebecca Fortney Breast Center Genetic Testing and Counseling Program and the Clark Comprehensive Breast Center at the UM Memorial Hospital Foundation.  

• Funds have been given to Leslie's Week, which is an organization that gifts vacations to Stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer women and their families.

• Digital mammography equipment was donated to the Luminis Health AAMC Kent Island Breast Center.

• We supported a nurse navigator to help guide breast cancer patients through complex medical systems and negotiate through the barriers to care along the continuum

• We funded the purchase of Spy Elite equipment for the Luminis Health AAMC Breast Center, which assesses the blood flow in newly transplanted tissue, allowing the surgeon to access real-time information and to modify plans before the patient leaves the operating room.

• We sponsored the purchase of a Faxitron System for the Shore Health Regional Breast Center; the system reduces procedure time in the operating room for breast biopsy and lumpectomy and minimizes the potential for re-excision.

Bosom Buddies Charities is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.