Who We Are
Our Story
and Values
Turning Survival Into Purpose
AEBCF Founder Rhoda Weeks-Brown, former General Counsel of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is herself a breast cancer survivor.
In her late forties, Rhoda self-discovered a large breast lump and was subsequently diagnosed with an aggressive, locally advanced form of breast cancer. Yet, thanks to access to the cutting-edge medical care available in the United States, her treatment journey included a groundbreaking clinical trial drug, chemotherapy, advanced surgical procedures, and a post-cancer therapy that dramatically reduced the risk of recurrence. Those interventions saved her life.
After emerging cancer-free, however, Rhoda discovered the dearth of options available to women facing breast cancer in Liberia, her birthplace. While she was receiving life-saving medical care in the United States and even for years after, breast cancer was still being treated largely as a palliative disease in Liberia. Had her cancer occurred while she lived in Liberia and she been unable to seek care abroad, she would quite simply not be alive today to tell her story.
Grateful for the access and opportunities available to her in the United States, but haunted by that stark reality, Rhoda resolved to dedicate the next chapter of her life to expanding opportunities for women confronting breast cancer in Liberia and, over time, in other under-resourced countries.
AEBCF was established to transform that commitment into action.
Our Legacy: Aurelia and Edith
The Foundation is named in honor of two of Rhoda's aunts, Aurelia and Edith, who were themselves diagnosed with breast cancer in the prime of their lives, in the 1950s and 1970s respectively. At that time, effective treatment options were limited everywhere. Despite their courage and determination, both ultimately lost their battles with breast cancer.
The Foundation honors Aunty Aurelia and Aunty Edith by helping more women gain access to the life-saving screening, diagnostic, and treatment tools that did not exist in their era. And that remain inaccessible to far too many women in Liberia today.
Their legacy inspires our mission.
Our Values
Compassion
We place women and families at the center of everything we do, recognizing the profound human impact of breast cancer.
Equity
We believe that access to life-saving breast cancer screening and care should not be determined by geography, income, or circumstance.
Partnership
We work alongside healthcare providers, government agencies, other non-profit organizations, pharmaceutical companies and other donors to advance our shared mission.
Impact
We are committed to changing individual lives, and also to bringing about measurable and meaningful systemic improvements in breast cancer awareness, screening, diagnosis, and treatment in Liberia.
Hope
We believe change is possible, access can be meaningfully increased, and more women in Liberia facing breast cancer can survive and thrive.
Our Approach: Expanding Access, Saving Lives
AEBCF believes that meaningful progress requires addressing the entire continuum of breast cancer care.
Awareness without screening is insufficient. Screening without diagnosis provides little benefit. Diagnosis without treatment is heartbreaking. And treatment without support places enormous burdens on patients and their families. For this reason, AEBCF pursues a comprehensive strategy that seeks to expand access and opportunity at every stage of the breast cancer journey.
Raising Awareness and Promoting Early Detection
Increasing public awareness of breast cancer and educating women about risk factors, symptoms, and the importance of regular self-breast examinations.
Strengthening Frontline Healthcare Capacity
Supporting education and training programs that help doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals incorporate breast health assessments and clinical breast examinations into routine patient care.
Expanding Access to Diagnosis and Treatment
Helping qualifying patients overcome financial barriers to diagnostic testing, chemotherapy, surgery, medications, and other critical forms of care.
Building Medical Capacity and Expertise
Supporting initiatives that expand local expertise, including partnerships that bring visiting physicians, nurses, and specialists to assist with patient care, training, and knowledge transfer.
Mobilizing Resources
Working with pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, equipment providers, and other partners to expand access to essential medicines, medical equipment, supplies, and other resources needed to diagnose and treat breast cancer effectively.
Forging Partnerships for Greater Impact
Collaborating closely with government agencies, healthcare institutions, academic centers, women's health organizations, advocacy groups, and fellow nonprofits committed to improving outcomes for women with breast cancer.
Establishing Systemic Impact
Ensuring that we not only save individual lives but also help establish practices and systems that bring about measurable and lasting improvements in breast cancer awareness, screening, diagnosis, and treatment in Liberia.
Because lasting change requires more than saving lives today; it requires creating systems that save lives tomorrow. Your support is critical to our success, and every contribution matters.
Board Members
& Officers
Axel M. Addy
Axel M. Addy is an international trade and private-sector development leader who served...
Michel Dioubate
Michel is a compassionate and board-certified Family Physician with over 10 years of experience...
Mark J. Hathaway
Mark J. Hathaway, MD, MPH, is a board-certified OB/GYN who was a member of the Washington...
