FORT WAYNE, IND. – OCT. 27, 2022 – Francine’s Friends Mobile Mammography has received a $29,000 grant from the Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust (IBCAT), which disburses grants made possible by the sale of breast cancer awareness special recognition license plates and other financial donations.
The IBCAT grant will be used to provide mammograms for women who do not have sufficient financial resources. This supports the ongoing work of Francine’s Friends to remove barriers to mammography screening.
“Our mission is to make life-saving mammography screening easy and convenient by removing barriers, such as transportation or costs,” said Marita Dwight, mammography director, Parkview Health. “We are grateful for the support of the Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust, as well as everyone who purchases the pink ribbon license plate or donates to their cause. IBCAT’s funds stay here to improve access to breast cancer screening, diagnosis and support services for your fellow Hoosiers.”
Francine’s Friends Mobile Mammography helps improve access to screening for all women, not just those facing financial barriers to care. The coach provides screening mammography to women age 35 and older, with or without health insurance, who have not had a mammogram within the past 12 months. Many health insurance plans are accepted.
The Francine’s Friends coach travels five to six days a week, visiting 11 counties in northeast Indiana. On average, the coach provides approximately 3,500 mammograms per year. In 2021, however, it provided only 2,900 mammograms, following a national trend of declining cancer screenings as a result of the pandemic.
“Early detection is key to the treatment of breast cancer,” Dwight said. “Don’t put off your screenings any longer. Your next mammogram could potentially save your life.”
For more information about Francine’s Friends Mobile Mammography, including the current schedule of public stops, visit Parkview.com/FrancinesFriends.
About the Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust
Since the Breast Cancer Awareness special group recognition license plate was first made available in 2002, over $6 million has been distributed by the Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust (IBCAT) through competitively awarded grants to organizations throughout Indiana for innovative projects for breast cancer screening, diagnostic and support services not otherwise available to medically underserved populations in Indiana. In addition, nearly $100,000 has been awarded in scholarships to high school seniors who have lost a parent to breast cancer, or have a parent currently battling the disease.
The mission of the Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust, Inc. is to increase awareness and improve access to breast cancer screening, diagnosis and support services throughout Indiana. Indiana residents may purchase an Indiana breast cancer awareness special group recognition license plate by visiting any Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles branch, online at IN.gov/BMV, or on a BMV Connect kiosk for an annual $40 fee, $25 of which is a direct tax-deductible donation (to the extent of the law). The plate may be purchased for display on passenger motor vehicles, motorcycles, trucks with a declared gross weight of not more than 11,000 pounds, and recreational vehicles.
The Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness license plate was the brain-child of the late Nancy Jaynes, a Plymouth (Indiana) High School family and consumer sciences teacher. Nancy lost her battle with breast cancer in March of 2008. Her vision that the license plate be a traveling billboard and reminder about the importance of early detection of breast cancer is alive and making a difference to thousands of Hoosiers.
For more information or to make a direct donation to the Indiana Breast Cancer Awareness Trust, visit www.BreastCancerPlate.org.