Alliance in Reconstructive Surgery Celebrates Women’s Breast Health
with Launch Event
AIRS Foundation Offers Education, Real-life Stories and Celebrity Supporters
at Chateau Marmont.
Dallas, TX, July 30,2013 — The Alliance in Reconstructive Surgery (AIRS Foundation), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing breast reconstruction after mastectomy to women who cannot afford this procedure, will be hosting a launch event on October 14th, 2013 at Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, CA. The evening will feature educational information for patients and the medical community, celebrity supporters, and real life stories of hope and healing. New Beauty magazine is one of the media sponsors.
Founded in 2012 by Janet Denlinger and Morgan Hare of Hylaco, LLC, and internationally known plastic and reconstruction surgeon, Dr. Rod Rohrich, AIRS is an advocate for restorative breast surgery, a vital part of total physical and emotional healing for many breast cancer survivors. Unfortunately, 70% of those who desire this surgery do not have the insurance or other resources to cover it. The foundation offers funding for breast cancer reconstruction, as well as education to physician and the medical communities, mastectomy patients, caregivers and advocacy organizations. While every woman who has had a mastectomy might not feel a need for reconstructive surgery, AIRS makes it possible regardless of one’s economic situation.
“It’s a little known fact that a majority of women who would choose to have reconstructive surgery are not able to because of the cost. AIRS is a one-of-a-kind organization, which fills this need and is dedicated to supporting and funding a woman’s right to restoration, education, health, and wholeness,” said Dr. Rod Rohrich. “As a surgeon who does both reconstructive and cosmetic surgery, I was inspired to launch AIRS with Morgan and Janet. We wanted to create an organization that offered education not only to patients and their caregivers but also to the medical community, for enhanced treatment and outcomes,” he continued.
“We are coming together not only to celebrate the technical advances in our field, but the real women, their stories, real relationships and real health that are nurtured by the ability to make women whole again after mastectomy. Every woman, independent of her circumstances, should be offered the entire range of reconstruction options at the time of her mastectomy in order to be able to make an educated decision about what is right for her,” said Janet Denlinger, Chief Scientific Officer of Hylaco.
“Federal and state laws may mandate that insurers pay for reconstruction, but, as we all know, this safety net has holes,” said Morgan Hare, President of Hylaco. “So many women do not have insurance, have high co-pays, or are without the resources to make an educated decision for reconstructive surgery. We want to provide education as well as financial support for these women. As leaders in a national movement for health and healing, we want to make sure that every woman who needs and wants reconstruction can obtain it, ” said Hare.
About AIRS
The Alliance in Reconstructive Surgery Foundation (AIRS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing women, around the world, access to reconstructive breast surgery to help restore their lives to normal. AIRS Foundation provides physician training, opportunity and funding to make this possible. Founded in 2012, the mission of the AIRS Foundation is to provide access to breast reconstruction, after mastectomy, to women who cannot afford this procedure. Restorative breast surgery is a vital part of total physical and emotional healing for many breast cancer survivors, yet 70% of those who would like to have it don’t have the insurance or other resources to cover it.
Educating women about their post-mastectomy options is of particular importance, especially when considering that a great percentage of women diagnosed with breast cancer are unsure of — or unaware of — their reconstruction options. Most breast cancer survivors who have had a complete or partial mastectomy (removal of all or some of the breast tissue and nipple) are candidates for breast reconstruction.
The Foundation works in partnership with physicians worldwide, providing the resources necessary to make reconstruction an option for women who would not otherwise have access to this surgery. To this end we provide education and training to physicians, globally, while supporting advances in health care research.
Please visit us at: www.airsfoundation.com.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AIRSAllianceReconstructiveSurgery
Twitter: @AIRSFoundation
