One of the reasons Michigan PA Bonnie Kilpela went into medicine was the loss of her mother to breast cancer when she was 14 years old. Now, she is honoring her mother and raising awareness of the disease with the "My Pink Warrior" calendar.

She was working with breast cancer patients as a PA in plastic surgery when she came up with the idea for the 2010 calendar. Designed by NCompass Design of Gwinn, Mich., it features patient education, vignettes by breast cancer survivors and photos by Wendy Hill Manson of Tranquil Images Photography of Marquette, Mich.

Kilpela, who practices at Marquette General Hospital on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, created the calendar to show the beauty and strength of breast cancer survivors. "We need to educate everyone about this disease," she told PA Professional recently. The calendar benefits the American Cancer Society and Beacon House, the hospital's hospitality house in Marquette, Mich. 

The calendar quickly sold out after The Associated Press picked up a local story about it. Now in its second printing, the calendar includes a male breast cancer survivor. "Being in medicine, and being a PA, I thought we needed to make sure and include the boys," Kilpela explained.

For more information on the calendar, go here.

Read more about PA Bonnie Kilpela in November's PA Professional magazine.