A friend of mine told me last year about her friend who was featured in a newspaper article about a program called Buddy Check 12. I read the article online and cataloged the gist of the story in my head. But I didn't do much with the information as I was in the midst of treatment for breast cancer and thought perhaps at a later date, I could better sort through the abundance of resources that were sent my way.

So now I am sorting through all kinds of cancer-related material that fills a large box in my house. And I came across a note I had made about this program -- which is really pretty enlightening now that I have the mindset to really appreciate it.

Buddy Check 12 is a breast self-exam awareness program started by Jeannie Blaylock of Jacksonville, Florida just after her friend, at the age of 29, died of breast cancer. Jeannie partnered with Baptist Medical Center and has sent more than 500,000 kits to women across the county -- with pamphlets about breast cancer and stickers for calendars to mark the 12th of each month.

Women are encouraged to conduct a self-exam on the 12th of each month and to then call and remind a buddy to do the same. If women and their buddies are consistent about their self-exams at the same time each month, they are more likely to detect a change in their breasts and can then pursue medical attention. Early detection can save lives -- and early detection often results from a woman's own exam of her own breasts.

Jeannie Blaylock lost her friend whose breast cancer was not detected early enough. Jeannie felt anger at first and then realized she had the power to change her future. And she is changing the future for all women who take part in this program -- women whose lives can be saved by early detection.