VERSAILLES, Ky. (LEX 18) — It’s the last day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but the Pink Sisters, an organization based in Versailles, continues its mission. It all started in 2020, after Catherine Anderson’s diagnosis.

Catherine explains: “I was 36 years old. I had just turned 36. So it wasn’t even recommended for mammography. I went in there to be sure, but then through the screening was told ‘we need to do more screenings’ and eventually a biopsy.”

Catherine says her daughter has seen how much the community has rallied around her mother. She wanted to start something that would support other people in this way.

She says, “Because it really means more, I think you’re relatable to people who have been through it.”

Those stories highlighted downtown Versailles in pink.

This year, Pink Sisters was able to put up 45 flags and each part has a different story of a woman.

Amy Iwahara is Catherine’s sister and the treasurer of the Pink Sisters. She says, “I’m so inspired by their strength and their journey.”

She helped create these flags. She says she saw how breast cancer changed her sister’s life and saw what a powerful tool these stories were.

Amy says: “Every trip is different. Everyone has a story to tell, but your story can be so beneficial and helpful to someone else.”

Richelle Duncan has been a registered nurse for more than two decades. She worked with breast cancer patients. However, since being diagnosed herself, she can relate to them on an even deeper level.

Richelle says: “As a nurse, I didn’t know what it was like to actually operate. So this process was a huge learning experience for me and I was able to relate more to my patients going through this and their family members. “

That kind of support is what this group is all about. They want to continue all year.

Catherine says: “Through cancer treatments and surgery there will always be ups and downs, but the best medicine to keep you going and going forward is staying positive.”