At 13, Alyssa Hebert is already deeply committed to the cause of breast cancer prevention and cures.

The Riverside Academy student lost a grandmother to the disease before she was ever born and is related to some of the founding members of Perry’s Posse, the River Parishes’ own grass roots non-profit that provides emotional, spiritual and financial aid to local residents actively undergoing cancer treatment.

Count Alyssa among the many inspired by the Posse’s goodwill.

School regulations prevent her from participating in an ongoing pink hair colored fundraiser at Judy’s Salon in Reserve.

Undeterred, the eighth grader pivoted course and has set out to create pink rubber wristbands, selling them for $1 apiece, with the funds going directly to Perry’s Posse.

“My mother’s mother had breast cancer and she died of it, so I’ve always wanted to help with it and raise money,” Alyssa told me this week. “Every single penny that I raise is going to Perry’s Posse. My grandmother and my aunt helped start it. They are great women, and I think it’s great what they are putting on together.”

Alyssa secured more than a dozen orders within an hour of her first announced intentions on Facebook, and she vows to keep going as much as possible because, “I like to make them, so I’m enjoying it and raising money.”

She encourages those interested in ordering to reach out to Perry’s Posse, her mother Terri or search her name on Facebook.

She describes the wristbands as rubber bands in two shades of pink that are formed in a fishtail pattern.

The person with the best view of Alyssa’s work is her mother, Terri.

The effort is certainly appreciated, as Terri lost her mother, Mary Torres, to breast cancer when Mary was 36.

Terri, who was 12 when her mother died, said her mom was originally diagnosed at 29. The trauma has left a lasting imprint, as Terri said she has been undergoing yearly mammograms since the age of 20.

“It’s scary still, and I wonder everyday if it is going to happen to me,” Terri said, adding for others, “be tested. Be aware of your body and any changes. Do it for yourself, your children and your family. You don’t want to ever leave your kids at a young age.”

Terri said her daughters, Alyssa and Tori, 8, are givers by nature and well aware of the threat breast cancer poses in their family and in our community.

It’s because of that threat that she is grateful for the work of Perry’s Posse and anyone else committed to cures and prevention, something she sees prominently in the River Parishes.

Her advice is simple: Do as much as you can to prevent breast cancer.

“I am very proud of (Perry’s Posse) and surprised that the community has taken it in,” she said. “It brings awareness. Somebody might not even be thinking about it and just hearing all of these things makes them want to make a doctor’s appointment.”

Terri joked that she is a little worried about all the wristbands her daughter has committed to making, adding it would be nice to get a little bit of help for the project.

She knows, however, Alyssa is committed to the cause — a passion that began with the passing of a grandmother she was never lucky enough to meet.

Years later, Terri still describes the loss of her mother as “horrible,” a pain no child should have to experience.

Terri said her mom was “fun-loving and would give anybody anything.”

Breast cancer, and certainly cancer in all of its forms, impacts every family in our community.

Thank you to those on the front lines of treatment and prevention, and thank you to those bringing about greater awareness.

We remain at our best and most likely to succeed when united in the fight against cancer.

Stephen Hemelt is publisher and editor of L’OBSERVATEUR. He can be reached at 985-652-9545 or stephen.hemelt@lobservateur.com.