Know Your Lemons

Who is Worldwide Breast Cancer?

We were founded by Corrine Ellsworth Beaumont - a designer born and raised on a farm in Idaho by a musician and an inventor. Breast cancer is a personal issue for Corrine. Her father’s mother, Lila Beth, died from breast cancer at age 40, leaving 5 young children behind. This disease returned again to the family and her mom’s mother, Sandra died from breast cancer at age 62 while Corrine was studying her Masters degree in design. She wanted to know what she should be doing to protect herself against breast cancer and traveled to a cancer library to get answers to these questions:

What do I look for? What am I feeling for in a self-exam? When should I get a mammogram? Am I at a higher risk?

So what have lemons got to do with breast cancer education?

At the cancer library Corrine went to, not one leaflet or website had all of the answers in a simple, easy-to-understand format to these basic questions. Corrine thought "as a designer, I can change that" and a Master project began to find a way to visualize breast cancer awareness that was interesting and informative.

She started photographic objects to stand-in for the breast: cones, jugs, melons...and then finally discovered a lemon. It has a nipple, and the interior looks similar to breast anatomy. And after spending time at an imaging center she discovered a lump was hard and immovable...much like a lemon seed. She knew I had found her metaphor!

Research for Know Your Lemons continues in London after a friend is diagnosed.

Corrine went to London to get her PhD in Design. However, after she moved she received news that her childhood friend Suzanne was diagnosed with metastatic (Stage IV) breast cancer - the kind that has no cure. Suzanne’s symptom was redness, a thick mass (“tight skin”), an inverted nipple and a child refusing to breastfeed on that particular breast. She had Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC). Suzanne didn’t discover breast cancer until a nurse called her several times at home urging her to get further testing and a second opinion after the first doctor dismissed it as an infection because she “was too young to get breast cancer”. Suzanne was diagnosed at age 28 and died after 7 years, leaving behind 4 children and an incredibly strong husband who had supported her through the struggle.

It was too much for me to bear any longer. I knew I had to bravely take the leap to leave my job and pursue the charity full time to help educate as many as I could. And so I turned in my notice and formally started the charity Worldwide Breast Cancer two years ago. Corrine Ellsworth Beaumont

Know Your Lemons takes off as a force for good

Know Your Lemons is now in over 17 languages thanks to volunteers. It’s used in over 70 countries educating one person at a time. The people touched by the Know Your Lemons campaign is in the millions. All of this on a budget of $12K of Corrine's own savings, and passionate people and organizations who are working to save lives from breast cancer.

It’s really incredible. And the media attention recently has done a lot to expand that reach! In January 2107, the 12 lemons were seen by 166 million people on all types of media.

Thanks for your interest in the work. Don’t hesitate to donate and also get in touch. We can’t do this alone. With you, we can change the picture of breast cancer for the better.

One lemon at a time. ;)