In the course of presenting our breast health programs to Long Island high schools and businesses, we meet a lot of people, many of which have amazing stories of breast cancer diagnosis and early detection. Here’s a small sample of some of these recent stories, as told by our breast health educators.
“A student at Syosset H.S. brought home some of the Foundation’s breast self-exam cards and shared one with his friend’s mom. Following the directions on the breast self exam card she found a lump that turned out to be breast cancer. The young man was in my class again this year and became emotional when one of his classmates teased him about being in a class that was meant for girls. I could tell he was very upset during my presentation. After the program ended, the teacher came over, and all three of us sat and talked about what he was going through. He stated that he helped save his best friend’s mom by sharing information he was given at one of our programs.”
—Patricia Fulton-Lawrence, Program Educator
“At Leviton’s annual health fair, a gentleman came by our booth and told us that his girlfriend discovered a lump in his lower chest area. Remembering what he read from our brochure that 1% of all breast cancer cases are men, and 20% of men who are diagnosed die, he chose not to ignore the lump. Thankfully the lump was benignNot harmful; not cancerous (referring to a cell or mass).; however a scan showed the early stages of pancreatic cancer. He was very grateful for what he learned at the wellness fair and said that the we played a significant role in his decision to seek medical attention.”
—Laura Culhane, Program Educator
“I have been fortunate to speak to many students while conducting breast health programs for the Maurer Foundation. One story that stuck out in my mind is when I spoke at Cardozo H.S. in Queens. After class, a student told me that his mom passed away from breast cancer the month before. He said he wished he had known more about the facts that were covered in the program so maybe he could have helped his mom make healthier choices.”
—Susan Simon, Program Manager
“I was at West Hempstead H.S. and a student approached me with concerns about a lump she had in her breast. After being examined by her general physician, he told her to come back in 6 months. We brought this matter to the attention of the school nurse and she called the student’s family. The student was then taken to a specialist where the lump was found to be benign putting her fears to rest.”
—Genesis Bayuelo, Program Educator
Want to schedule a breast health program for your class, event, group, or business? Fill out our online breast health program request form.