Katie Couric is paying the loveliest tribute to other breast cancer survivors. The 65-year-old is returning the favour by donating $25,000 worth of baby formula to women affected by breast cancer after opening out about her own struggle with the disease earlier this year.
To deliver the special surprise, Couric collaborated with the infant formula manufacturer Bobbie and the non-profit The Breasties, an organization that seeks to build a community and provide support for cancer survivors and caregivers. 111 new mothers affected by breast cancer received free formula for a year thanks to the journalist.
- Katie Couric is giving back to new moms impacted by breast cancer.
- The 65-year-old donated $25,000 worth of baby formula to 111 new moms impacted by the cancer in partnership with the baby formula company Bobbie and the non-profit The Breasties.
- Couric was diagnosed with breast cancer in June of this year and is now cancer free.
According to her interview with PEOPLE, “One of the reasons I decided to be public about my diagnosis is because I know that I have the power to influence public health in this country and to educate and teach people and give them the knowledge they need to live longer lives.”
And not only is it a tremendous privilege, but also a tremendous obligation, she continued. To be able to share some very positive news with so many of these ladies who have been through so much and, in some cases, not only require emotional support but also financial support, I was really happy and humbled to be a part of Bobbie’s project.
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On behalf of Bobbie, she presented the ladies with $25,000 worth of formula during a Zoom call that was held by The Breasties. In addition, Laura Modi, CEO of Couric and Bobbie, is launching a public petition in support of legislative changes that would assist women who need donor or formula milk following a mastectomy.
The mother of two shared her breast cancer diagnosis in a personal essay and a September 2022 Instagram photo. She discussed her treatment experience with followers after being diagnosed in June 2022 in an effort to inspire others to prioritize preventative healthcare.
In the United States, a woman receives a breast cancer diagnosis every two minutes. I joined them on June 21st,” she wrote in the caption of a picture of herself wearing a hospital gown and a mask. “I wanted to share my personal experience with you all, to encourage you to get checked, and to let you know that you might be a woman who need more than a mammogram,” she said.
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She admitted that she had missed her mammogram by six months, and doctors found that she had breast cancer after performing an X-ray and ultrasound (which were necessary due to her dense breasts). Couric has undergone a lumpectomy to remove the malignant tissue and finished her radiation therapy since receiving the diagnosis.
PEOPLE was told by Couric, “I’m feeling wonderful. And I’m especially appreciative since, as I’ve repeatedly mentioned, I’ve benefited from the best treatments that contemporary medicine has to offer. Having experienced my husband’s colon cancer, my sister’s pancreatic cancer, and many other friends who I have lost to cancer, the fact that advances have been made and that my situation, my prognosis is so good, makes me feel optimistic. I was diagnosed early when my breast cancer was not only treatable, it was curable. That is truly beyond fortunate.
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