Stefani Booroojian from KSEE 24 News brought the Buddy Check program to Fresno City College on Tuesday, Oct. 11, with the help of Sharon Johnson, executive director of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The presentation was held inside the Student Lounge on campus and featured FCC political science instructor, Jaime Ledezma, as a guest speaker.
For 15 years the key to the Buddy Check program has been to offer a simple monthly reminder for local women to take an important step in their health.
The presentation offered information on early detection for breast cancer, stressing the importance that it has on the survival rate of women who have been diagnosed. In addition to that, Johnson advises women to start breast self-awareness early; as the youngest cancer survivor in California was only 10 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Brochures were made available in the Student Lounge, describing four steps all women should know about breast cancer awareness. The steps described include knowing family health history, getting screened through mammograms, clinical exams and self-exams for women as early as in their 20s.
Statistics were used throughout the presentation to further inform on the different types of breast cancer in both women and men.
Guest speaker, Jaime Ledezma, added to the presentation by telling about her experience with battling breast cancer at 27 years old. Her main focus was urging younger women to be more aware of the risks and constantly keeping up with their exams as the survival rate is lower for women who are diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age.
After the speech, the floor was left open for audience members to ask questions related to awareness, the statistics, as well as Ledezma’s personal experience.
At the end of the presentation, Sharon Johnson and Stefani Booroojian offered self-screening kits and brochures to encourage everyone to become more aware on breast cancer and also let people register for the Buddy Check program.
More information on breast cancer and Susan G. Komen for the Cure can be found at www.komencentralvalley.org.
