Katie Couric is reaching out to her fellow parents after being diagnosed with breast cancer. The mother of two is thrilled to have the opportunity to give a year’s worth of baby formula to 111 moms who have cancer.
Couric recently surprised hundreds of moms with $25,000 in formula on Zoom. In a partnership with organic baby formula Bobbie and the Breasties, a non-profit organization that creates a community for cancer survivors and their caregivers, Couric shocked 111 moms with much-needed baby formula.
In an interview with People, the journalist shared more about the life-changing partnership with Bobbie and the Breasties. “Not only is it a huge privilege, but also an enormous responsibility,” Couric reflected. “I was really excited and honored to be a part of this initiative by Bobbie to be able to share some really good news with so many of these women who have been through an awful lot, and not only need emotional support but need financial support as well, some of them.”
Couric Pays It Forward To New Moms With Breast Cancer
Couric was diagnosed with breast cancer on June 21, 2022. However, the journalist waited until September 28 to reveal her diagnosis to the public in a beautiful essay she wrote.
“When I shared what was going on, I did what I always do,” explained Couric. “I did a lot of reporting and tried to find out important information not only for myself, but for other women and men. I did it when I was ready and I thought that was a good time to do it, and so that’s really why I waited.”
Now that Couric is cancer-free, she has turned her attention to supporting other women with breast cancer. In fact, the mother of two chose to support a unique group of women with breast cancer: new moms.
In choosing the women who would receive the free formula, CEO of Bobbie Laura Modi remarked, “All of the new mothers we sponsored at least had mastectomies. We did have two people who had a surrogate and we also sponsored them.”
We Can All Influence Public Health Policy
Katie Couric hopes that by advocating for women with breast cancer, more new moms will have access to free formula. One way this can happen is through changing public health policies.
As the journalist shared, “One of the reasons I wanted to be public about my diagnosis is I know that I have the capability to influence public health in this country and to educate and inform people and arm them with the knowledge they need to live longer lives.”
As of this year, there are 3.8 million women in the US who are dealing with breast cancer. Although many mothers with the disease are unable to breastfeed due to cancer treatment, there is no public health policy that covers formula or donor milk for the mothers’ babies. Because of this, Couric and Modi have launched a public petition for legislative changes to create insurance equality covering formula or donor milk for all moms who have undergone a mastectomy.