History

"The progenitor of our Warsaw Club, the first one in Poland, was a small athletic group organized in November, 1982 by my late friend, Elbieta Jaworska, with the help of Dr. Krystyna A. Mika and under the direction of Magister Zdzisawa Pilicz. I belonged to this group along with several women who recently had recent mastectomies and who were personally rehabilitated by Dr. Krystyna Mika. We were all aghast, frightened, in the state of shock, sad and unhappy. We passed each other in the corridors of the Wawelska Street hospital, looking distrustfully at each other, not realizing that we shared the same painful experiences, that we all desperately expected some help and support - looking for hope from somewhere and longing for a bit of optimism that would give us some strength in the battle for life and health. There was among us Elzbieta Jaworska - a fine, young woman with a PhD in chemistry - who was very active professionally and passionately involved in many sports disciplines such as skiing, tennis, volleyball, swimming or camping. She could not envision life without being able to continue these activities. It was she who had found a wonderful physical fitness instructor in Zdzisi Pilicz - an experienced, courageous and responsible person who took upon herself the pioneering job of leading this peculiar athletic group. Under the professional and caring eye of Zdzisi Pilicz, we could not only continue post-surgical rehabilitation but also, within acceptable limits for each of us, involve ourselves in recreational gymnastics with elements of volleyball, handball and aerobics feeling safe and protected. It gave us lots of joy and satisfaction. Overcoming our common difficulties made us feel closer. We began to form companionships, even establishing friendships, becoming still closer during our joint trips to the sanatorium, organized for us by Dr. Krystyna Mika. In this group, we were recovering from the stress caused by our illness and the demanding rehabilitation treatments. In a friendly atmosphere full of goodwill, we were gradually putting behind us our painful experiences and we began to see an emerging future beginning to believe that we did have one too. It was then that Dr. Mika suggested that we organize ourselves as a Club. She proposed that we use as our headquarters the Oncology Center Department of Rehabilitation, the head of which she just had become. We gladly acted on this initiative. And so, in January 1987, the first ever Polish Post-Mastectomy Women's Club was founded in Warsaw-Ursynow. It has now led to the creation of the powerful Polish Post-Mastectomy Women's Movement. This Club was one of 14 Clubs - founders of Federation of Polish Post-Mastectomy Women's "Amazons" Clubs - and at present it is the leading Club of the Polish Mazovian Post-Mastectomy Women's Clubs. We chose to name ourselves "Amazons" but unfortunately, we did not then reserve the trademark for this name. We had not expected that, years later, this name would be used by escort agencies or by TV programs of questionable merit and quality. Elbieta Jaworska became the Club's first president. From the beginning, we received lots of help from the long dormant but reactivated Citizens' Committee to Fight Cancer and in particular from Professor Zbigniew Wronkowski, who has always been very well-disposed toward our activities. The Committee has included us in its work's plans; sharing with us - whenever possible - it's modest, hard-earned funds. At the time the Club was formed, we were already relatively strong, distanced from our ordeal. We spent time together in meetings and conversations that brought us hope, reduced fear and gave birth to optimism. There was then the moment when we began to feel the need to bring this positive personal experience to others. We remembered the road traveled. We were conscious of state that we were in during our treatment and immediately afterwards. We appreciated belonging to a friendly group of women who shared the same experience. We were ready pay off the debt to women who were just entering the thorny path of battle with the disease. We were ready to find them in a hospital or in a health center and say to them, 'Look, I am alive and I have triumphed! Why would it be any different for you? I went through it. I see a future ahead of me and I have plans! Look up, fight, cooperate with doctors, mobilize your strength, and let hope and optimism awaken within you!' Putting these feelings into practice marked the beginning of volunteer - Ochotniczka - activities in Our Movement. At the beginning, our work was directed by Dr. Mika, and she shared with us her rich experience acquired while working with post-mastectomy women. Guided by Dr. Mika, the three of us - Elbieta Jaworska, Boenka Krawczyk and me - set out to work in hospitals as the first Ochotniczki in Poland. We became pathfinders for future Ochotniczki, overcoming the fears and distrust of the Health Service, gradually gaining confidence and even recognition. There are hundreds of us in Poland today. This is the most valuable group of Amazons, recruited from the Clubs' members, voluntarily declaring a wish to carry on this difficult and responsible mission. However, they can begin to do so only after special training conducted within the confines of the Federation of Polish Post-Mastectomy Women's "Amazons" Clubs. They are trained by the Federation's highly specialized psychologists, who follow the programs of the international organization, Reach to Recovery (of which our Federation is a member), adapted by our Federation's psychologists, Dr. Malgorzata Adamczak and Magister Teresa Turuk-Nowak, for Polish conditions and requirements. The first such training took place in June 1992 in Warsaw, and it inaugurated the system of mandatory Ochotniczka training within the Federation." (Zofia Michalska)

MD. Krystyna Mika

Dr. Krystyna Mika, the Manager of Maria Sklodowska-Curie's Ursynow's Oncology Center Department of Rehabilitation, not only initiated our Club in January 1987, but she also took us under the department's roof and continues to support Amazons' activities to this day. The founding of the Warsaw Club has given rise to the massive growth of Amazons' movement in Poland - today there are over 15.000 of us. Our Warsaw Club alone has 150 Amazons. Following our example, post-mastectomy women from other cities and centers organized as well. So currently, there are already 123 Clubs all over Poland, and new ones keep emerging as, unfortunately, there are more women with breast cancer.

In 1998, the Amazons' Club obtained legal status. It has been an important step in our activities. We are an independent association operating under the meritorious patronage of the Central Management of Polish Committee to Fight Cancer and under the Oncology Center Department of Rehabilitation.

"Spartakiada"

The transitional changes that have affected the Health Service have practically stripped off our financial base. This is why we try to find new sponsors and benefactors who, understanding the purpose of our activities, will make it possible for us to continue perfecting and developing our mission. We maintain contacts with similar clubs and associations in Poland and abroad, we exchange experiences and continuosly study and learn to repay the debt of our life and health by helping others.