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t m c » p u l s e | j u n e 2 0 1 5 34 Sister, Sister Headquartered in Houston, Sisters Network Inc. works tirelessly to provide breast cancer services and social support to African-American women throughout the country TOP: Karen Jackson, founder & CEO of Sisters Network Inc., created an organization she would have liked to join after her own battle with breast cancer. BOTTOM: Jackson with Houston Mayor Annise Parker and a group of supporters at the 5th Annual Stop the Silence walk last year. (Credit: Sisters Network Inc.) B y A l e x a n d r a B e c k e r K aren Eubanks Jackson was 50 years old when she was diag- nosed with breast cancer. Although it was undetectable on her routine mam- mogram, Jackson had insisted her doc- tor perform an ultrasound, citing family history and recent literature she'd come across. It was 1993 and ultrasound technology was not widely used as a diagnostic tool at the time, but Jackson would not take no for an answer. "It just so happens that I was per- sistent—I won't say how persistent, but the doctor finally gave me an ultra- sound," she recalled. "Lo and behold I had breast cancer—and it had been there for years." Armed with information unfamiliar to most patients, Jackson's persever- ance led to early detection, likely saving her life. "Knowledge truly is power," she said. "I think of all of the women who don't even know the questions to ask. That's a scary thing." While Jackson battled her cancer amid hospital visits and painful treat- ments, she learned just how wide- spread the problem was. Recognizing an absence of educational materials and support services geared toward African-American women especially, Jackson set out to create an organiza- tion she would have liked to join—one that would be nationally focused, distin- guished by broad access to knowledge and services as well as sisterhood and, ultimately, survival. In the 20-plus years since Jackson founded Sisters Network Inc., the nation's only African-American breast cancer survivorship organization has grown exponentially, with over 40 survivor-run affiliate chapters serving thousands of members nation- wide. Headquartered in Houston, the