The road through cancer treatment can test even the toughest of spirits. A local organization is handcrafting and donating beaded bracelets to the courageous women who have reached the finish line at Renown Infusion Services.
After finishing her sixth and final cycle of chemotherapy at Renown Infusion Services, Joan Jackson told her nurse, Daun Russell, RN, she was tired. Russell returned with a box and opened it -- as she does for all cancer patients completing treatment -- and said, “pick one.”
What Jackson was selecting was a beautiful, handmade bracelet crafted and donated by the local Soroptimist organization. Jackson picked a purple bracelet with a tag that read, "Congratulations on completing your treatment. Imagine what you can do now."
“Picking the bracelet was such a special thing to mark my last day of chemo,” Jackson says. "Their gesture impacted me for the good after going through so much.”
The women behind the bracelets
Bev Perkins, a member of the Soroptimist International of Truckee Meadows, says the bracelet project began in 2009 as a way of celebrating those who completed cancer treatment.
She wanted the project to be hands-on, so she involved the club members by organizing a small budget and asking others to donate jewelry. The group comes together each year to make the bracelets. Perkins disassembles the donated jewelry, adding newly purchased beads to make kits for the bracelets. The volunteers also add a metal tag inscribed with an inspiring word, like “believe,” “hope” or “love.”
“It’s a labor of love for us,” says Kay Dumhan, group treasurer. “It’s to show empowerment and to help these women know there are people who are encouraged by them.” “When bracelets are donated there is usually quite a bit of feedback on how much it’s appreciated,” Dumhan says. “We never want to run out so we make sure we have a supply there. We’ve had cancer survivors as members and that makes it all the more personal.”
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Tiffany Banks is one of the newest members of the Renown Health Foundation Board of Directors. She’s part of a dedicated group of 28 volunteers who lead fundraising for Renown Health, northern Nevada’s only not-for-profit academic health system.
Tiffany brings bold vision and relentless drive to make real change. She’s a founding member of Mamas for a Cause, a Reno nonprofit that raised $50,000 to support breast care services at the Conrad Breast Center at Renown South Meadows, a cause that’s deeply personal to her. She’s also an attorney and the CEO of Nevada REALTORS®, where she has shaped policies and amplified the voice of real estate professionals across the state.
Now she’s setting her sights on the title of Mrs. Nevada America, an honor celebrating women defined by service, ambition and heart.
Get to know Tiffany in her own words. Why she gives back, what motivates her to lead, and how she’s working to create lasting change.
With skin cancer affecting one in five Americans and 3.5 million new skin cancer cases diagnosed yearly, being proactive about prevention is vital to your health. Dr. Angela Walker, a dermatologist with Renown Dermatology, Laser and Skin Care, explains.
