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Think Pink breast cancer awareness campaigners were celebrating this week the arrival of a giant magnet to be fitted to a half-a-million-dinar 1.5 T digital MRI machine to allow testing to start.
The breakthrough comes as an early Eid present to the dedicated charity champions who have raised thousands of dinars and invested years into organising initiatives to highlight the community campaign.
A special crane was used to lower the heavyweight parts into the newly-refurbished Nuclear Medicine Department in Salmaniya Medical Complex on Monday morning. When fully operational the state-of-the-art equipment will be used to scan for various cancers throughout the body.
Think Pink founder and chairman Jules Sprakel said: “The long-awaited digital MRI 1.5 T was delivered to SMC, an amazing milestone for such a huge community project. The magnet, which is the second part of the machine, has finally arrived. The first part arrived a year ago when they were still preparing the room for it.
“I feel like I’m being peeled off the ceiling right now. We did this together and we should all be proud of this achievement. Good things do happen to those who wait.
“All those people that said we couldn’t do it, all the doubters and hurdles ... we did it. What next!”
The long-awaited machine, costing BD490,499, was originally scheduled to be operational for nationals and expats alike in February 2015. The decision to purchase it came six years earlier following due diligence procedures.
The move was supported by the Salmaniya Medical Complex’s (SMC) Oncology Department and the Ministry of Health (MoH). Adhering to Think Pink Bahrain’s mission of early detection and prevention, the digital MRI, will be an essential diagnostic tool.
It took three years to raise an initial BD400,000 but more fundraising became necessary following delays and changes in policy and procedures within the ministry. New tendering processes were put in place and the charity had to adhere to these which all took time.
However, on a positive note, it meant that the charity was able to purchase the most up-to-date digital MRI machine for Bahrain for an extra cost of BD90,000, for which only one other similar machine is available in the region.
Jules said: “Not only is it located in a bigger complex, which will support more people, the delay meant that we were able to purchase the latest machine. It’s a one of-its-kind in Bahrain and only Dubai has a similar machine.
“Although it’s a breast-specific machine, we agreed with the ministry to buy an application to be able to support other screenings for other cancers so that it could be used for everyone. It’s an exciting development. Now they are testing the equipment.”
The first publicly-funded state-of-the-art MRI machine is set to be operational by the third quarter of this year.
Think Pink was founded in Bahrain in 2004 by Jules and raised BD36,000 for Bahrain Cancer Society in its first two years.
“Think Pink is all about awareness,” explained Jules. “When you’re educated it’s the best possible prevention.”
Despite working exhausting hours as an intensive care nurse at the time, Australian-born Jules, now head of community engagement at RCSI Bahrain, made it her mission to help educate people about breast cancer.
“My grandmother, aunt and mum suffered from cancer,” she explained. “When I was in my twenties I had two breast cancer scares. I decided that for my 30th birthday I didn’t want presents but I wanted people to donate some money to a breast cancer charity.”
Discovering there wasn’t a charity specifically devoted to breast cancer in Bahrain, she decided to do something about it … and launched ‘Think Pink’.
The charity kicked off with a gala evening and auction at the Coral Beach club.
More than 400 people attended and in 2005 alone she raised BD10,500. Jules began to approach businesses for sponsorship and with the help of friends and colleagues organised an annual golf tournament.
In May the Think Pink Charity Golf Day raised a further BD4,000 when more than 100 women showed their solidarity by teeing off dressed in pink, for what has become an annual event at the Royal Golf Club. The event broke a record in Bahrain for the largest number of registered female players in a competition.
“Think Pink is a whole community,” she explained. “Without everyone pulling together we wouldn’t be here.”
Think Pink’s organising committee members and supporters have continued to raise funds to be used towards breast cancer initiatives on the island, having particular success with awareness and education programmes.
In 2009, it covered the cost of sending four Bahraini medical professionals to Germany on a three-week course. Others have followed and now there are 12 lymphedema therapists located in the three teaching hospitals in Bahrain - SMC, BDF and King Hamad University Hospital.
Think Pink also has supported five master students that have graduated in breast cancer nursing.
When Think Pink first started raising funds, around BD120,000 was directed to the national mammography drive, making Bahrain the first country within the GCC to spearhead such an initiative.
A nationwide campaign called ‘i check’ helped highlight the importance hands play in detecting cancer through monthly self-examinations as early diagnosis can save lives.
Tens of thousands of Pink Plexus gloves from the US, which act like a magnifying glass for your fingers to detect lumps while doing monthly breast examinations, were donated over four years to American Mission Hospital Bahrain, SMC, King Hamad University Hospital and BDF. The charity also spent three years supporting the American Mission Community Care Project screening campaign.
Individuals and organisations from different walks of life have also joined hands to support the cause, including Gulf Air and Bahraini Olympic sailor, Sami Al Kooheji as Think Pink’s goodwill ambassador. Muharraq Horse Riding School Ladies’ Endurance Team are taking the reigns as breast cancer charity Think Pink’s brand ambassadors for this year’s awareness campaign, as reported earlier in GulfWeekly.
Other fundraising activities over the years included a Think Pink beach party, annual Harley Davidson Owners Group (HOG’s) rides in pink outfits and Zumba classes. The British Embassy in Bahrain also staged a successful Pink Garden Party.
Now the new direction of the charity is locally centred research for breast cancer issues and the Think Pink team is working on a surprise project to be launched in October.
