By kristen moulton

| The Salt Lake Tribune

Critics of the decision by Susan G. Komen for the Cure to pull funding from Planned Parenthood and its affiliates earlier this week were thrilled Friday when the breast cancer charity reversed course.

"Kudos to Komen," said Mary Woodhead, a Salt Lake City attorney. "I’m grateful. In this day and age it’s really hard to admit you were wrong and change your position. It’s great that women’s voices about their health were heard."

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In a surprising reversal, the Dallas-based foundation Friday morning issued a statement apologizing to "the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women’s lives."

Earlier in the week, Komen acknowledged that its new rules meant it would not fund any organization under investigation. Because Planned Parenthood is being investigated for alleged financial improprieties by Republican Rep. Cliff Stearns of Florida, that meant Planned Parenthood would no longer get grants to screen for breast cancer or increase awareness about the disease at its clinics.

While continuing to insist that enforcement of the new rules was not politically motivated, Komen on Friday said it will "amend the criteria to make clear that disqualifying investigations must be criminal and conclusive in nature and not political.

"We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities."

Komen’s initial decision was met with widespread outrage on social media sites.

Comments on the Facebook page for Komen’s Salt Lake City office were overwhelmingly negative, and many former participants said they would not run in the May 12 Race for the Cure to protest.

Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood said the initial decision triggered small and large donations surpassing $900,000 nationally, the Associated Press reported.

Deena Mulhall is one Utah resident who was not cheering the Komen foundation’s reversal. She lost her sister to breast cancer five years ago, but cannot support any charity that is linked to Planned Parenthood.

"The dignity of human life is more important than anything," said Mulhall. "Planned Parenthood is very dangerous to women and their emotional as well as physical health. Abortion is never a fix. It does not help somebody to destroy the life within them."

She also questioned why the Komen foundation does not fund more research into links between abortion and breast cancer and oral contraceptives and cancer.

Planned Parenthood’s Utah affiliate last received money from Komen in 2008. That was a grant of $11,925 for breast health cards, laminated breast-examination guides designed to hang in the shower.

Its last request for a grant, in 2010, was rejected by the independent committee that decides where Komen money goes locally, said Debbie Mintowt, executive director of the Komen Salt Lake City affiliate.

Planned Parenthood was instead offered the laminated cards, but did not take up the offer, she said.

Karrie Galloway, director of Planned Parenthood in Utah, said she was thrilled by Friday’s news, but said Komen "set themselves up" for the firestorm of criticism. "I don’t think they realized how women and the people who love them don’t like feeling they were hoodwinked."

Nonetheless, she said, "I hope everyone can let the past few days go and we’ll start anew."