Mama Help
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Mission Statement
A diagnosis of breast cancer is always devastating news, even if it is sometimes "very small" and "easy to treat". In addition to the physical illness, such a diagnosis brings with it a psychological burden for the patient, family, and friends. After all, we are all vulnerable, and although we know we are not unbreakable, the upcoming disease seems to bring mortality to the spotlight. That is why the diagnosis affects not only the holders of the disease, but also their partners, children, parents, friends, and neighbours, leaving no-one indifferent. It is not just a disease, it is a process that definitively changes a patient's life, in many dimensions, and to different degrees, so the answer cannot and should not be just medical. When receiving and living with a cancer diagnosis, it is essential to remain well informed. But this information is not always easy to search for and, even if it is available, further guidance is needed without which the problem may be exacerbated rather than mitigated. Mama Help appears precisely as a diversified resource centre, open to everyone. It provides information and help in various areas, from the first diagnosis and at all stages of the disease, because cancer can return, and when it does, the impact is even greater and the help is even more necessary.
About This Cause
Mama Help is a non-profit association, founded in Porto in 2011, that supports breast cancer patients. Its main mission is to improve the quality of life of patients and their families, while also promoting higher-quality knowledge about the disease. It was created on the initiative of Prof. Dr. Maria João Cardoso, breast surgeon, with the aim of complementing traditional medical treatments with integrative practices. Mama Help offers a series of services to support the treatment of breast cancer, namely legal advice, acupuncture, imaging, oncology and lymphedema physiotherapy, nutrition, psychology, osteopathy, reiki, hypnotherapy, naturopathy, physical exercise recovery, and pilates. Mama Help has become a go-to center for non-medical advice for patients across the country. Furthermore, it is dedicated to disseminating information about breast cancer, promoting various information sessions and informative workshops throughout the year, in addition to providing around 50 informative brochures on various topics related to breast cancer. All this work is supported by specific fundraising actions. The association also collaborates with several public and private entities, including the Champalimaud Foundation (Lisbon), the Faculty of Sports of the University of Porto, the Dr. António Cupertino de Miranda Foundation (Porto) and Breast Cancer Care – Support Net (United Kingdom). All members of Mama Help's governing bodies work on a pro bono basis.