South Florida teen helps women get mammograms in Ukraine despite war

February is National Cancer Prevention Month, and one South Florida teenager and her friend have teamed up to make sure women in their home country of Ukraine get breast-cancer screenings despite the country’s ongoing war against Russian invaders.

For Isabel Gurvitch, starting the non-profit MammogramMe was personal.

Her mother is a breast-cancer survivor.

Her family relocated to Miami to escape the war, but she realized many women in her home country aren’t able to take the preventive steps needed to protect their health.

“So, we started MammogramMe to remind women, ‘Hey, you guys need to check yourselves.’ There are things that can kill you in your own body, and we are helping women now in Ukraine get mammograms,” said Gurvitch, 17.

Gurvitch and her best friend, Mahika Jassal, who now lives in Poland, started a partnership with Adonis, one of the biggest hospitals in Ukraine.

“We send the money to Adonis, and then Adonis will provide the mammograms. Over the last three years, we’ve done over 200 mammograms,” said Gurvitch.

Jassal leads a MammogramMe chapter.

“I go to the American School of Warsaw, and so we established a chapter there, and we have a club with over 35 members. When we give every round of mammograms, and we see the women whose lives we’ve touched, it just really feels like our work has an impact, and it always feels good to see we’re able to help them in some way,” said Jassal via FaceTime.

The movement has taken off, the teens now have five chapters that help raise money.

“I’m beyond proud. These girls are amazing, and they did it all on their own,” said Anna Gurvitch, Isabel’s mother.

“You’re 17 years old. Where does this drive come from?” asked CBS News Miami.

“It comes from personal experience, from my mom and having to leave a country I called home. It’s a lot of hurt that I turned into grit, so other women don’t have to go through it,” said Gurvitch.

The teens have big plans for the non-profit.

Their next goal is to raise enough money so they can help provide cancer treatment for Ukrainian women who can’t afford lifesaving care.

This report was produced by Miami Herald news partner CBS News Miami.