Episode 197: Keep A Breast Foundation – Shaney Jo Darden

This week’s episode of The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast features Shaney Jo Darden, founder of Keep A Breast Foundation – a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing breast cancer risk and its impact globally through art, education, prevention, and action. 

In 1999, Shaney Jo Darden discovered a close friend had been diagnosed with breast cancer and she wanted to do something to help and she realized that she could make a difference in a way that honored her friend’s passion: art. As a result, Keep A Breast was born as a unique art concept that was developed to showcase the physical and emotional challenges of breast cancer. The result was a series of customized breast casts.

In 2000, the first breast casts were officially showcased in an exhibition called “Keep A Breast.” It featured casts of pro-female snowboarders, painted by artists like Shepard Fairey and Ed Templeton. This signaled a shift toward an arts-oriented breast cancer awareness organization with a new mantra: Art. Education. Prevention. Action.

Since then, Keep A Breast has grown and evolved and now has many programs within the organization. Their programs include Check Yourself (Digestible breast health education through printed materials, blogs and our KAB app.); the Keep A Breast App (A free, breast self-check app helps guide you through your monthly check and can connect you with health professionals.); Fit 4 Prevention (A national movement to educate about breast cancer prevention through fitness and wellness.); Keep A Breast Give Back Grant (Directly supporting BIPOC women who are breast cancer survivors or who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.); Treasured Chest Program (Where artistry meets therapy. TCP is designed to create a safe space that allows our castees to confront both physical and emotional changes that a breast cancer diagnosis brings.); Non Toxic Revolution (Informing, educating and inspiring young people to avoid toxic chemicals in their environment and food supply—especially those linked to the initiation of breast cancer.); and their most recent program, which Shaney Jo talked about for the first time (EXCLUSIVE!!!) Keep A Breast Valley (Boutique Wellness Center is being designed as a desert community that will provide the space and tools for visitors to explore and nurture individual and collective wellness.)

Shaney Jo’s story is so inspiring and the work that Keep A Breast does to empower women and support our sisters through their cancer journey is incredible. You don’t want to miss this episode.

In this episode, you’ll hear: 

• Shaney Jo’s inspiring life story;
• How she got into art, fashion, and design;
• The story of how Keep A Breast came to be and her personal connection to breast cancer (through a friend’s cancer journey);
• How Keep A Breast has grown and evolved and stories of women they have helped through the years;
• AN EXCLUSIVE: Shaney shares about a new facet of their work – a wellness center for those going through cancer and cancer survivors; 
• And so much more.

The 1 Girl Revolution Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, YouTube, and everywhere you listen to podcasts. 

For more information on Keep A Breast Foundation, please visit Keep A Breast’s website.
Follow Keep A Breast Foundation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Support Keep A Breast and the women they support by bidding on their casts between now and November 4th: https://bidddy.com/p/events/kabxfall