As Project LEAD Institute graduates armed with more scientific information and greater comprehension of the language and concepts of breast cancer, Doucette and Wilkinson are better positioned to engage with doctors, researchers and scientists and to share the perspectives of survivors and advocates.

“We, as advocates, can now have a seat at the table on a national level to impact decisions that affect smaller communities,” said Doucette. “My opinion about what research is relevant and what clinical trials get funded will hold weight equal to the opinions of scientists and doctors sitting beside me. As an advocate I feel that I have a voice that matters and one that can help to make treatment better for someone down the road.”

Doucette and Wilkinson, both breast cancer survivors, will use their newly acquired knowledge in their work at DBCC, helping women to better comprehend what medical professionals are saying so they can make more informed decisions about their breast cancer treatment and care.

Their new learning will also benefit them as they facilitate DBCC’s Beginning Your Pink Ribbon Journey workshops at area hospitals, including Tunnell Cancer Center in Lewes and Bayhealth Medical in Dover and Milford.

Beginning Your Pink Ribbon Journey helps newly diagnosed breast cancer patients get answer to questions they have and find the resources they need as they go through their diagnosis and treatment. The patient workshop is a small, cohesive group setting that includes an oncology nurse, social worker, nutritionist and DBCC staff.

As a result of their Project LEAD experience, Doucette and Wilkinson are now pursuing avenues they may not otherwise have traveled. Doucette has applied for a seat on the review board of the U.S. Department of Defense to review grants for medical funding, and Wilkinson has been asked to participate in the cancer committee meetings at Bayhealth Medical Center. Representing DBCC, Wilkinson hopes to play an advocate role in the Bayhealth Cancer Center and its clinical trials program when the new center opens.

Doucette and Wilkinson were among an elite group of national applicants selected to receive the merit-based Project LEAD Institute scholarships. Scholarship application criteria included experience in breast cancer advocacy, letters of recommendation from a Project LEAD graduate and from a National Breast Cancer Coalition board member, completion of an initial two-day Project LEAD course, commitment to continued learning with an expectation of participating on government and hospital research panels, and the submission of a personal essay.

The DBCC now has five employees, nearly one-third of its staff, who have received the intensive training.