As part of our 2008 Breast Health Awareness Initiative and in conjunction with our partnering organizations in San Antonio, the Silver Stars would like to recognize these standout individuals for their efforts to help end breast cancer.
Each one of our partnering organizations will be nominating one person each month who will be recognized at our Breast Health Awareness Night when the Silver Stars play the Los Angeles Sparks on September 5 here at the AT&T Center. Please contact Silver Stars Sales Representative Sandy Vasquez at 210-444-5658 or email svasquez@attcenter.com for more information on the game and this initiative. Click here to download the pdf.
Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation - Sandi Stanford
Sandi is a 13 year survivor. She became active with ABCF once she retired from USAA after working there for over 35 years. She is chair of our Patient Advocate Program, which is part of the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. This program is held in December and this was the 30th year. The Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation celebrated our 10th year this past December and Sandi has served on our board for many years. She is married to Frank (retired policeman) and has 4 daughters & 5 grandchildren. Thank you, Sandi!
Susan G. Komen for the Cure - Debra Acosta
Debra ran her first Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in 2001. After hearing all the inspiring stories of survival, she was committed to the cause. Debra has served as Race Registration chair for six years and she will continue to participate in the fight until there is a cure for breast cancer.
American Cancer Society - Kathryn Snoga
Kathryn, a Breast Cancer Survivor, has been a Reach to Recovery Volunteer with the American Cancer Society since February of 2006. Since her certification as a Reach to Recovery Volunteer, Kathryn has provided one-on-one support, hope and inspiration to over a hundred women who have been newly diagnosed with breast cancer.
Kathryn has also been committed to our weekly on-site Reach to Recovery program at Wilford Hall, Surgical Oncology Department, where she has provided her service and support to our enlisted Service Women and/or Dependents as well and retired military personnel who come to Wilford Hall for treatment. Wilford Hall is the only Army Hospital to have a Surgical Oncology Department, therefore rendering active personnel who are stationed through the world, to be brought to Wilford Hall for treatment. Kathryn has made a significant impact in providing these soldiers and their families with much need help and support during their time of need.
WINGS - Monica Hinojosa, Rachel Crow, Gregg Goza
Monica is a tireless volunteer for WINGS. During the past five years, Monica has represented WINGS at health fairs and fundraising events. Through her efforts as volunteer coordinator, Monica has made WINGS known the corporate volunteer community. For three years, she has served as co-chair of WINGS Anniversary Celebrations and, this year, heads up the event's Special Activities Committee. All this while raising two young -- and active -- sons.
Rachel Crow and Gregg Goza are teaming up to raise money for WINGS through the Valero Texas Open's "Birdies for Charity" program. This is the sixth year that Rachel, a breast cancer survivor, has been involved with WINGS and Birdies. Over time, she has single-handedly raised in excess of $18,000 for WINGS.
This is Gregg's first year to be involved with Birdies but he is no stranger to WINGS. Along with his partner, Susan Moreland, a breast cancer survivor, Gregg is the owner of Oh! Susannah, a specialty lingerie shop serving the needs of breast cancer survivors. Oh! Susannah has supported WINGS since it opened in September 2004.
Patricia Kennedy
Patricia first heard of SLEW Wellness Center from her Case Manager at Family Services. He called us while she was still in his office and told us he had a Katrina evacuee with breast cancer that needed a variety of services and because she was not from here didn't know where to go. She had no family or friends here at the time and didn't really feel like she belonged. She had been shuttled from the shelter to transitional housing with her two children and the stress had really taken a toll on her family.
Pat says that thru individual and group counseling sessions she was able to meet other cancer survivors as well as other Katrina evacuees and realized that she was not alone. The center gives her people to bond with to help her feel like she is a part of the San Antonio community. In fact some of these women where going thru cancer for the second or third time, which made her realize that she could get through this, and things will get better! She says she has also benefited greatly from the education classes and the nutrition classes because she is the type of person that when he finds out something is wrong with her she wants to research it completely. These services would not have been available to her if not for SLEW Wellness Center. The team at SLEW has been able to answer many of her questions that she would have otherwise just worried about.
Regular treatments have finished for Pat and she feels that she is back on the road to recovery.
Cynthia Galvan
Cynthia first heard of SLEW Wellness Center from her family doctor Hilliard Floyd, M.D. Doctor Floyd had another patient that was attending our agency and asked her to talk with Cynthia about SLEW because she was so happy with the services that she had been provided. He knew that Cynthia was afraid and needed support.
Cynthia says that thru our counseling services and nursing services she has a better understanding of what's going on with her body and is able to accept her diagnosis. She has met a lot of new friends and doesn't feel alone in her journey. She is able to understand what caused her lympedema and is now having it managed successfully. Group Day is a time for bonding and the presentations from the guest speakers gives her a lot of information that she could not get anywhere else.
Lastly, she cannot work and her husband does maintenance work so she really would not have been able to afford the wigs and other services without SLEW. She finished her treatments in December 2006 but is still going in for regular check-ups and is currently coming to SLEW for counseling, lymph drainage, massage therapy, and group sessions. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2007, and is now also a client of the agency.
Gloria Ramirez
Gloria first heard of SLEW from her State Representative/Med Team Home Provider. She then called the American Cancer Society who also referred her to us. She had just been released from the hospital and was feeling very alone because she has no family to lean on for support.
Gloria says that the thing that stood out the most when she first entered SLEW was the support of other women. In her first group meeting when she started to cry and everyone came around to hug her and hold her she knew they understood without her trying to explain anything to them. They had gone through or were going through the same thing. She had to go through 6 operations because the doctors had trouble getting clean margins on her which made her very angry and just wanting to give up some times, but the women at SLEW kept her going, helping to build her self esteem and self worth.
SLEW has provided her with wigs, caps and other necessities that would have caused a big hardship on her. She is very thankful to receive those items and all of the other services from SLEW at no charge.
Finally, her tumors have shrunk, she is finished with chemo, and she feels that she is in a good place right now! She's surrounded by people who she knows cares about her. Gloria says she is looking forward to the day when she can go back to college. She has also gotten back into the church, which gives her a sense of fulfillment.
Worldwide, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer (10.4% of all cancer incidence, both sexes counted) and the fifth most common cause of cancer death.
Worldwide, breast cancer is by far the most common cancer amongst women, with an incidence rate more than twice that of colorectal cancer and cervical cancer and about three times that of lung cancer. However breast cancer mortality worldwide is just 25% greater than that of lung cancer in women.