NEW ORLEANS, USA (AP) — Singer-songwriter Jewel has penned numerous lyrics empowering women after heartbreak and loss, and now she hopes to do the same for breast cancer survivors.

Jewel's latest song, Flower, was written to raise awareness about the importance of breast reconstruction options for breast cancer survivors.

"Reconstruction is a huge part of the healing process," Jewel told The Associated Press. "It's not just vanity. It's a part of what makes us women. It's a part of our identity as women. Patients should at least be informed about their options."

Jewel said she originally wrote Flower years ago as a relationship-based song, but it was never released.

"The chorus in that song kept coming back to me, and I thought it was so fitting for this cause, so I rewrote the lyrics for these women," she said.

The chorus compares a woman battling cancer to "a flower pushing up through concrete to thrive."

Jewel shot to fame in 1996 with her self-written breakout hit, Who Will Save Your Soul, and has had success in pop and country genres with hits like Stronger Woman, Foolish Games, You Were Meant For Me, and Intuition.

Jewel is the national spokeswoman for the Breast Reconstruction Awareness (BRA) campaign and has partnered with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the Plastic Surgery Foundation to raise awareness and money for breast reconstruction-related research and to the charitable care of breast reconstruction patients.

Proceeds generated by downloads of Flower on iTunes or Amazon.com will benefit the effort, as will proceeds from the October 29 concert at the New Orleans Theatre in the Ernest N Morial Convention Centre.

Jewel says she's always considered herself an advocate for women but since becoming a mother last summer to her now one-year-old son, Kase, "I'm an even bigger fan of women."