Pink Gene Foundation
Seattle, Washington

OUR BRANCHES
A local family who has a history of three generations of breast cancer developed this foundation. Their grandmother fought two bouts of breast cancer in her early 30’s and mid 40’s and lost her life in her early 60’s from Gastric Cancer. Her two granddaughters, founders of the Pink Gene Foundation, spent a lot of time with her throughout her battle with cancer during their years at WSU. This past January their mother underwent surgery for stage 1 breast cancer,
which created awareness throughout the family. Two months later oldest daughter Tera, age 28, found a lump through self-examination and weeks later was told she had stage 3B ductal carcinoma breast cancer. After receiving the devastating news, Tera took action to help prevent this from happening to her younger sister Ashley by testing for the BRCA 1/BRCA 2 gene. When the entire family tested positive, Tera decided the best way to fight this disease was to spread awareness and help other young women who are undergoing similar challenges.
During this fight Tera has discovered that there are an abundance of breast cancer organizations that offer amazing assistance, but they all focus on the same goal. She has taken her challenges as a young fighter and implemented them into a foundation that can offer assistance in areas that are often overlooked. The Martin sisters’ objective is to spread awareness on multiple levels as their mother is a survivor, one sister is a fighter and the other a preventer!
ABOUT US
OUR MISSION
Our foundation’s mission is to raise money to spread awareness and to build a foundation for young women who are deemed high risk or are currently battling breast cancer so we can provide them with access to genetic testing and naturopathic therapies. The BRCA1/BRCA2 genetic testing is a new form of prevention for both women and men. If an individual tests positive for either gene mutation, they are empowered to proactively manage their cancer risk. It’s estimated that 55-65% of women who inherit a harmful BRCA1 mutation will develop breast cancer by age 70, compared to a rate of only 12% for women without the gene mutation. Sadly, the testing is not covered by most insurance providers—and even if it is, it can still cost the individual anywhere from $800 to $4000! Another important way to prevent or fight breast cancer is through natural healing, where the body uses the healing power of nature to help restore and/or maintain health. Unfortunately, naturopathic methods can be very expensive and are not covered by insurance. No matter what path a breast cancer carrier or fighter chooses, he/she should always incorporate natural medicine in their everyday life.
OUR FOUNDER
​​