While breast cancer usually develops in women over age 50, case rates are on the rise in younger women. This is concerning for many reasons, including that women diagnosed under age 40 are nearly 40% more likely to die than women diagnosed after the age of 40. A new memorial honors these younger victims of the disease.

Earlier this month, Bay Area Young Survivors (BAYS) unveiled the first public memorial in the country dedicated to young people who have died from metastatic breast cancer. Located at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, the memorial came about due to a partnership between BAYS and San Francisco Recreation and Parks. The Bay Area Young Survivors Breast Cancer Memorial Garden features the names of 109 BAYS members who have died from the disease and provides a space for remembrance and reflection.

Nola Agha, BAYS Memorial project manager and volunteer, says, “This Memorial is a powerful acknowledgement of the thousands of young people who lose their lives to metastatic breast cancer each year, including our beloved friends. Our dreams for this garden began in the early 2000s when we formed BAYS and our members started dying… We all know the healing powers of being outside, together, with our hands in the dirt. The Memorial Garden is a physical space people can tend to, while honoring lives lost and raising awareness of the critical need for further services, research, and funding as incidences of breast cancer amongst young people increase.”

BAYS, which has more than 2,000 members, is an all-volunteer nonprofit doing its part for the breast cancer community. It focuses on building a community for young people living with breast cancer by providing support groups, community building events, financial resources, and information sharing platforms.

Their work on the memorial project was also funded entirely through donations, and it has been gifted to the city. As breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in American women between the ages of 20 and 49, it’s likely to provide a needed space for many of their loved ones.

Dr. Hope Rugo, Director of Breast Oncology and Clinical Trials Education at UCSF, says, “The Memorial Garden will serve as a poignant reminder of the lives lost to metastatic breast cancer, many of whom have been my own patients. It is also a very serene and special space that can offer comfort to those undergoing treatment, as well as the people and healthcare workers who care for them.”

You can learn more about the garden here.

To fund life-saving research into breast cancer, click here.