Empowering Women To Advocate For Themselves

Did you know that SURVIVEiT® is a women-run nonprofit organization?

On International Women’s Day, we want to draw attention to the power and empowerment behind a women-run organization.

A majority of our Survivor Advisory Council is made up of women who share their stories to make a difference for others. Joy Brewster Rusthoven leads Team SURVIVEiT® as Executive Director, bringing her personal experience as a caregiver to help others facing cancer.

Being part of a women-led organization is quite empowering. This year’s #IWD2021 theme is “Choose to challenge.” That’s what we do a SURVIVEiT. We challenge the “old ways” of facing cancer and propose a new way, based on our experiences as patients, survivors and caregivers. As a collective, these women launched the world’s first interactive Cancer Navigation Tool – that’s pretty remarkable! We’re changing the way people face cancer and we’re doing it as a women-led organization that I’m proud to be part of.

–Joy Brewster Rusthoven, Executive Director

When I think of the women involved with SURVIVEiT®, I think of passion. Enough passion to want to change the face of cancer. Enough passion to help launch the world’s first Interactive Cancer Navigation Tool. Enough passion to see our vision through. These women embody the theme “Choosing to challenge”. We are facing our challenges every single day as patients, caregivers and survivors in this passionate and powerful women-led organization of which I am honored to be a part of.

-Peggy Dennis, Survivor Advisory Co-Chair