By Alberto Suris
More than 300 hundred people attended The Greater Lawrence Family Health Center In Pink Brunch and Fashion Show last Saturday, October 19th held at The Andover Country Club. All proceeds from the benefit will support the New Balance Foundation Imaging Center at GLFHC.
Candy O’Terry was the event Keynote Speaker.
Everybody in attendance was very familiar with the name Candy O’Terry. She is the morning Co-host & On-Air personality of MAGIC 106.7, but she wasn’t there to boast about her accomplishments. She wasn’t there to tell us that she is a consummate singer/songwriter, television and film actress. She wasn’t there to mention that she is the 2012 recipient of the Communicator Award of Excellence for Major Market Radio Personality and is the President and co-founder of Boston Women in Media & Entertainment, just to mention a few.
O’Terry was there to tell a personal story. A story not heard before from her.
The story is about a young girl that find out from a nurse that her mother was dying of breast cancer. “Your mom won’t make it by tomorrow, the nurse told the teenager girl, while taking her hand and putting on her left side of her chest. The girl noticed that the nurse had a breast missing. I’m a breast cancer survivor, but your mom won’t survive. That teenager girl was me,” said O’Terry sobbing. By then, it was not a dry eye in the room filled of a large attendance of cancer survivors.
Taking control of herself, O’Terry explained that instead of crossing her arms in resignation, she decided to live an active life and make the difference. Today, she serves as the spokesperson for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.
A year after opening the New Balance Foundation Imaging Center, GLFHC initiated the first and only Spanish-speaking breast cancer support group in the Merrimack Valley. The facilitators use the Spanish version of the American Cancer Society’s I Can Cope series as a guide to biweekly meetings for women living with breast cancer.
These sessions are free and open to anyone, not just Health Center patients. With nearly 100 women diagnosed with breast cancer as a result of screenings at the Imaging Center, the I Can Cope support group currently has more than 50 women participating in its activities. Some of the topics explored include Managing the Effects of Illness and Treatment, Keeping Well in Body and Spirit, and Communicating Concerns and Feelings. From special events and guest speakers to water and land-based exercise programs, I Can Cope creates a strong bond among a group of women who share a difficult time in their lives and rely on each other for real support.
Because so many of these women are undergoing treatment and incurring expenses not covered by health insurance, GLFHC has created the I Can Cope Discretionary Fund, which helps to pay for post mastectomy products and fittings as well as transportation costs to medical appointments, treatment sessions, and support group meetings. All proceeds from the IN PINK Benefit will support the I Can Cope Discretionary Fund. Your generosity in giving helps GLFHC lift the spirits and restore the health of women in our program.
