- According to UM Health Sparrow doctors, about 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime
- In recognition of breast cancer awareness month, UM Health Sparrow is urging community members to get their annual cancer screenings to possibly save their life
- In the video attached, we spoke with a mother who is a breast cancer survivor along with her daughter about how consistent annual breast exams changed their lives
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
As we enter Breast Cancer Awareness month, Sparrow hospital is emphasizing the importance of annual screenings.
I'm your neighborhood reporter Asya Lawrence here with a local mother and daughter who know the significance all too well.
"I was doing a self exam and I felt the lump and I just.... had that sinking feeling in my stomach" Judy said.
Judy Vanpeemen had just gotten a mammogram one year prior to finding a lump in her breast in 2018.
"I hoped that it was something different and I called my doctor and they got me in within a week" she said.
Soon after... Judy received a breast cancer diagnosis that would shake her world.
"You can't help when you get diagnosed I kept feeling like it was something I did wrong" Judy reflected.
But the reality was she did nothing wrong at all, Judy's aunt, cousin, sister and one of her children have all had breast cancer making her high risk.
"I actually had 2 different cancers so they treated it as stage 2" Judy said.
Today, things look very different for her.
"I'm still here! Its been 5 years since I had my last infusion 5 years in September" Judy proudly said.
As a part of her on going recovery, she still gets screeningS regularly and encourages her daughter to do the same.
This October, Sparrow is urging both women and men to get their cancer screenings.
"1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lifetime so its very prevalent but very treatable and curable so we want to make sure we get women in for these screenings" said Rachel Cruz, UM Sparrow nurse practitioner.
Screenings that could save a life, the same way it did for Judy
"I treasure every day differently now" Judy said.
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