It’s only fitting that a statistician is the mastermind behind the Numbers Foundation.

Karla Stuebing, a University of Houston alumna and visiting professor of psychology, teaches statistical methods, but it was more than a knack for numbers that inspired an effort dedicated to educating the public about cancer survivorship. A cancer survivor herself, she also was interested in motivating others to mark the number of years they’ve been free from the deadly disease.

“A year ago, I was stuck in traffic and noticed the various magnets shaped like ribbons designed to foster awareness of breast cancer, honoring U.S. troops and other such causes,” she said. “Just as these other drivers wanted to support these causes, I wanted to let everyone know that I had survived my first year living with cancer and imagined how happily I would display a large number ‘1’ on my car. This seed of an idea led to the vision of cancer survivors everywhere displaying their years of survivorship via magnetic numbers on their cars.”

With the support of family and friends, Stuebing launched the Numbers Foundation in October. Its first outreach effort, Strength in Numbers, has capitalized on Stuebing’s idea of magnetic numbers, but it has taken the concept a step further by placing numbers on T-shirts and caps.

While these numbers mark victories for the actual survivors, Stuebing is optimistic that they’ll also be images of hope for others who are diagnosed with cancer.

“We hope to send a message to the public through individual survivors that cancer can be beaten,” Stuebing said. “I hope that this message will improve the subjective probability of surviving cancer in the minds of those who see it, so when others are diagnosed they proceed with determination rather than defeatism.”

All proceeds from the sales of magnetic numbers, caps and shirts are donated to UH’s Health Psychology Research Group, which specializes in improving the quality of life for breast cancer survivors, the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Austin, and the Lance Armstrong Foundation, for support of community service programs.

Whether they’re on cars, caps or shirts, the numbers can serve a variety of purposes, but their overall mission is to instill a belief that life after cancer is indeed a reality.

“Too often, a person’s first reaction when they are diagnosed is, ‘I’m going to die,’” Stuebing said. “These numbers are designed to promote hope and let people know that there are survivors all around them. Most importantly, they’re identifiers for survivors. Most people are afraid to ask survivors about their experience with the disease. But if they’re wearing numbers, it will show that they are willing to share their knowledge with others who need encouragement.”

For more information on the Numbers Foundation and Strength in Numbers, visit http://www.thenumbersfoundation.org/.

Mike Emery
memery@central.uh.edu