Its been a rocky roller coaster ride for the San Diego chapter of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. A foundation that works to fight breast cancer. The San Diego office received death threats and thousands of emails after the national organization decided to pull its funding for breast cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood. That decision was reversed on Friday.
Laura Farmer Sherman faced the biggest death threat about eight years ago when she survived breast cancer. She's now the Executive Director for the folks who put on the annual walk to find a cure in San Diego. "I was a little scared yesterday, and I wondered what's going to happen, this is a passionate breast cancer community that you don't want to stir up," said Farmer Sherman.
The Susan G. Komen Foundation has been stirring people up to fight breast cancer since 1982. It came under fire Tuesday after approving a new policy that pulled funding support for early breast cancer screening at Planned Parent Hood. "The policy essentially said, if your organization is under investigation at the local, regional or national level, you are not qualified to receive funding from us," said Farmer Sherman.
But the San Diego office and several others in California said the decision was unfair, because the inquiry by Congress didn't find Planned Parent Hood guilty of any crime. "We've received thousands and thousands of emails and voice mails. And a couple of death threats," Farmer Sherman said.
The backlash apparently worked and the Komen Foundation said it will continue to fund its Planned Parenthood grant. Although San Diego chapters receive no funding from the grant Jennifer Coburn, Director of Communications is glad the issue has been settled. "Planned Parenthood applauds the Susan G Komen foundation for putting women's health over politics, and we're extremely grateful for the reversal in their position, Coburn said.
