Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, affecting one in eight women in their lifetime.
Ginger Muratet is one of them.
"April of 2011 is when I was diagnosed. By the end of May, I had already completed the double mastectomy and had begun reconstruction" said Muratet.
Muratet lost her job about a year after she was diagnosed and learned about "Oklahoma Project Woman" when it was time for her first checkup.
Oklahoma Project Woman is a statewide program that provides free mammograms, diagnostic procedures and surgical services to women without health insurance.
The organization, which is funded by private donations, helped over 4,300 women is 69 counties last year. Since 1998, it's helped over 47,000.
"Knowing I could still keep those appointments was a huge weight lifted off me." said Muratet. "Without that, I am not really sure how I would have made it happen"
A breast cancer survivor herself, Anne Bogie with Oklahoma Project Woman said the best thing a woman can do is get a mammogram.
Oklahoma Project Woman works to make sure finances don't prevent someone from having one.
"We provide the complete continuum of care." said Bogie. "What we encourage them is that we will pay for everything after that, so please don't not have a mammogram because you're afraid of what the results might be"
Bogie said the best prevention is early detection, and the biggest risk factors of breast cancer are being a woman and getting older.
Muratet credits Oklahoma Project Woman and her family's support with saving her life.
"My kids, if it wasnt for my kids, I don't think.. well I know i wouldn't have been able to handle it the way I did" said Muratet.
And another special someone, her Akita named Kita.
"My first Akita saw me though everything," said Muratet. "Every surgery, I spent more hours with her than I did with any person."
When Kita passed away about a year ago, Muratet got a tattoo of her on her forearm so she would always have her close.
"She was the best," said Muratet. "When I couldnt get myself out of bed, she just knew and she would come help me... She was my everything."
If you would like to donate to Oklahoma Project Woman you can click the link below.
http://www.oklahomaprojectwoman.org.
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