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Let's Talk About Your Breasts

Let's Talk About Your Breasts

Written by: Dorothy Gibbons CEO & Cofounder
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About this listen

The Rose Breast Center of Excellence presents Let's Talk About Your Breasts with Dorothy Gibbons.

Each week, Dorothy hosts candid conversations with an array of people in the breast cancer community. From doctors and employees to donors and individuals who influence policy, you'll learn all there is to know about the disease which impacts so many women in our community.

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Episodes
  • A Women's Bakery, Orphaned Elephants, and Rural Breast Care: Giving With a Bigger Picture

    A Women's Bakery, Orphaned Elephants, and Rural Breast Care: Giving With a Bigger Picture
    May 5 2026
    Nonprofit leaders dream of someone walking in and saying, “I’m going to give you a million dollars.” Very few ever see it happen. In this episode, a longtime supporter explains why she chose to fund multiple mobile coaches, help open an East Texas Regional Service Center, and seed The Rose’s Mammogram to Medical Home program instead of paying for brick and mortar. She talks about dividing her mother’s unrestricted giving fund among education, medical care, and conservation, and why she looks for small organizations whose work sends “tentacles” into whole communities and generations. From a women’s bakery in Africa that feeds thousands of children and sends girls to school, to knowledge mobiles, orphaned elephants, and seed grants for students, she returns over and over to one idea: food and health give people a chance at any future. Support The Rose HERE. Subscribe to Let’s Talk About Your Breasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and wherever you get your podcasts. Key Questions Answered 1. Why did this donor decide to fund mobile mammography coaches instead of buildings or equipment alone? 2. What led her to support The Rose’s Mammogram to Medical Home program for uninsured women without a doctor? 3. How does she evaluate nonprofits and decide where her giving can reach the most people? 4. What impact has her support had on The Rose’s reach across rural counties in Texas? 5. How does the women’s bakery in Africa change entire families and communities over time? 6. Why is conservation, especially in Africa, a core part of her philanthropy? 7. How have personal family health issues shaped her interest in medical research and smaller organizations? Time-stamped Overview 00:00 Episode begins, Dorothy welcomes a returning donor and recaps her support for coaches, machines, and the East Texas hub.01:00 Dorothy remembers the first meeting, meant to discuss Hispanic outreach, that turned into a million-plus-dollar commitment.03:00 Donor explains why she dislikes brick-and-mortar projects and pushed instead for funding a mobile coach.04:00 She shares why serving uninsured and Hispanic communities and multiple rural counties made the coach gift feel right.05:00 She describes hearing from a friend whose East Side clinics routinely send women to The Rose.06:40 Background on the unrestricted giving fund her mother left, and how she divided it among education, medical care, and conservation.07:30 Story of the women’s bakery in Africa, where uneducated women become bakers, feed thousands of children, and send girls to school.09:30 Benny’s journey from hungry child to baker and first in his family to pursue higher education.12:00 Why she prefers projects with “tentacles” that ripple across generations rather than one-time efforts.13:15 Family roots in geological conservation and how that grew into wildlife and environmental work in Africa.14:30 Description of funding “knowledge mobiles” in Botswana that teach children and teachers about animals and conservation.15:30 Support for vehicles and projects in Madagascar and elsewhere that combine conservation, education, and livelihoods.16:45 How a first trip to Kenya and later bird-watching deepened her awareness of poverty and need.18:00 Why she values organizations where 100 percent of donations flow directly to field partners.19:00 How she vets small organizations through trusted partners and prefers to give seed money.21:00 Dorothy recalls how the donor also seeded the Mammogram to Medical Home program after a declined grant.22:00 Structure of the Mammogram to Medical Home model and why it is unusual in mammography.23:30 Donor shares why reducing fear and complexity for uninsured women matters so much to her.24:20 She reflects on being raised to help people regardless of background and to treat everyone with respect.24:50 Dorothy describes how the coaches and the Lufkin hub expanded The Rose’s reach far beyond Houston.26:00 Dorothy notes the donor’s humility and curiosity, always learning servers’ stories and quietly backing new programs.27:30 Donor shares her introverted childhood and how marriage nudged her into connection and a wide circle of friends.28:20 She considers future giving priorities, including food security on Native reservations and broader food and health efforts.30:30 Examples of seed grants for arts and music students at universities who lack funds for travel, internships, and competitions.31:30 Final reflection that food and health give people a foundation for any future, followed by closing thanks and call to support The Rose.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    34 mins
  • How 3D Mammography and MRI are Transforming Care

    How 3D Mammography and MRI are Transforming Care
    Apr 30 2026

    Dorothy sits down with Dr. Wei Yang, a renowned professor and breast radiologist. Dr. Yang emphasizes the significance of mammography, recommending annual screening starting at age 40 for women at average risk.

    During this conversation, you’ll hear about the benefits of digital breast tomosynthesis (3D mammography) and breast MRI for women at elevated risk, highlighting the positive outcomes associated with early-stage breast cancer diagnosis. Dr. Yang underscores the importance of early detection and the role of emerging technologies, such as contrast-enhanced mammograms and artificial intelligence, in improving breast imaging, and more.

    Her personal story is as interesting as the work she is doing to level the playing field for all women, insured or uninsured.

    Support The Rose HERE.

    Subscribe to Let’s Talk About Your Breasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and wherever you get your podcasts.

    Key Questions Answered

    1. What is the importance of breast cancer screening, and what are Dr. Yang's recommendations for mammography screening?

    2. How do digital breast tomosynthesis (3D mammography) and breast MRI benefit women at elevated risk of breast cancer?

    3. What are the positive outcomes associated with early-stage breast cancer diagnosis, and why is early detection so crucial?

    4. What new technologies, such as contrast-enhanced mammograms and artificial intelligence, are emerging to improve breast imaging?

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction and Background

    03:16 Choosing Radiology and Specializing in Breast Imaging

    05:40 Different Screening Modalities in Breast Cancer

    07:00 Understanding Digital Breast Tomosynthesis

    09:55 The Role of Breast MRI in High-Risk Women

    14:11 Diagnostic Workup for Abnormal Mammograms

    18:50 Exploring New Technologies in Breast Imaging

    20:42 Embracing Artificial Intelligence in Medicine

    21:09 Navigating Gender Asymmetry in Medicine

    22:36 Supporting Patients and Delivering Clear Communication

    25:31 The Importance of Forgiving Self and Taking One Step at a Time

    28:23 Hopes for the Future and the Importance of Passion

    30:14 Encouraging Women to Prioritize Their Health

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    32 mins
  • Dance, Culture, and Commitment to Breast Cancer Awareness

    Dance, Culture, and Commitment to Breast Cancer Awareness
    Apr 28 2026

    During this mashup episode, you’ll hear from supporters of Hats and Henna High Tea, a community driven event that celebrates survivors, supports patients, and raises critical funds for The Rose. These are supporters, caregivers, and champions. They talk about mothers and mothers in law facing breast cancer, the sacrifices families make, and the resilience that shows up in hospital rooms, small businesses, and dance floors.

    Hats and Henna Hight Tea brings culture, art, and local leadership together to focus on The Rose’s mission.

    Support The Rose HERE.

    Subscribe to Let’s Talk About Your Breasts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and wherever you get your podcasts.

    Key Questions Answered

    1. Who helps bring Hats and Henna to life and why this event matters so deeply to them.

    2. How Lin Lin connects restaurant ownership and radio work with advocating for women’s health and mammograms.

    3. How breast cancer in the family shaped Iman’s decision to start her own jewelry business and live with more courage.

    4. What lessons a young person can carry for life after watching a loved one go through breast cancer treatment.

    5. Why Sami believes The Rose stands out among charities working in breast cancer and community health.

    6. How Hats and Henna helps raise both awareness and funds for mammograms and navigation services.

    7. How Parita used dance to cope with her mother’s diagnosis and to create a supportive community around performance.

    8. What it means for children and teens to give up activities and relocate in order to support a parent in treatment.

    9. How loss shaped Somya’s commitment to working with The Rose and reaching more families earlier.

    10. Why every story at Hats and Henna comes back to the message that self care and early diagnosis can change outcomes.

    Timestamped Overview

    00:00 Episode and event introduction, focus on community stories
    00:40 Lin Lin on women’s self care, mammograms, and partnership
    02:00 Iman on Ashma’s journey, family resilience, and starting a business
    04:20 Sami on why he supports The Rose and Hats and Henna
    05:40 Parita on leaving Chicago, dancing through her mom’s chemo
    06:50 Somya on losing her mother in law and finding purpose with The Rose
    08:00 Closing reflections, gratitude, and reminder that self care is essential

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    9 mins
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