Bosom Buddies was founded in 1988 out of a need Bobbi de Córdova-Hanks saw in her community. “In 1986 when I was first diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, I didn’t know which way to turn. I had no idea what questions to ask my doctor, or what to expect from my treatment,” Bobbi said. “I still remember the ice cold feeling of fear creeping into the very marrow of my bones.”

It was that thirst for knowledge about the disease she was battling that gave Bobbi the idea to start a support group. “I was already networking with other patients in the doctor’s office and realized how much better I felt after ‘comparing notes’ with other breast cancer survivors,” Bobbi said. That’s when the seed for Bosom Buddies was planted and its tree of life grew and grew. “Sharing our heart-to-heart experiences with breast cancer is what it’s all about,” Bobbi said. “We’re bound by the same pink ribbon.”

Bosom Buddies found a home in the community education department of the Women’s Center of Jacksonville, where respect, dignity and quality of life for all women is at the basis of their work. What a perfect fit.