Spreading Hope & Healing for Breast Cancer Survivors

If you’ve seen cowboys coming out of the chute wearing pink recently, then you were likely attending the rodeo during a Tough Enough to Wear Pink event. Founded in 2004 by Terry Wheatley and Karl Stressman, the movement has spread across the country by providing a framework for organizers to promote breast cancer awareness and raise funds for individuals and families fighting cancer at rodeos and other events.

The grassroots movement has even grown beyond the western industry, spreading its message of hope and support far beyond the arena to the hearts of competitors, families, and fans across America. And it hasn’t stopped there; in Spring 2021, Twisted X partnered with Wise Health Systems to open the Tough Enough to Wear Pink Breast Cancer Counseling Center at the Center for Emotional Wellness in Decatur, Texas.

The counseling center offers comprehensive services and programs that address coping with diagnoses, adjusting to physical changes, maintaining mental health, practicing spirituality, and more. It’s staffed with licensed clinical social workers from Wise Health System who bring broad and comprehensive experience to caring for patients and their families. Since its opening, the center has offered makeovers, therapeutic art classes, private counseling, and a comfortable place for individuals and those close to them to feel safe and relax while they recover.

“We are overwhelmed by the support from Twisted X and the western and rodeo community to launch a Tough Enough to Wear Pink counseling center,” says Terry Wheatley, a founder of Tough Enough to Wear Pink and a breast cancer survivor. “To say it is going to change lives is an understatement, as it will create a safe place, a therapeutic resource, and a second home for survivors, current fighters, and their families battling breast cancer.”

The core message shared at the Tough Enough to Wear Pink Counseling Center is that those struggling with breast cancer are not alone. Its goal is to serve as a place where individuals can find the strength and tools they need to overcome the struggles they are facing, whether it be a physical space to unwind, an outlet to release emotions, or a supportive sense of community.

To schedule an appointment or learn more about the Center for Emotional Wellness, click here.