CityView Magazine

42 | March/April 2018 O G I V I N G October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. So when a local couple discussed holding an educational forum about breast health, they took that into consideration – and decided to hold their event at another time. "Breast cancer awareness isn't just in October," explained Dr. Bruce Distell of Valley Radiology. "Issues of breast health are 24/7/365." A forum indeed developed out of that seminal conversation between Distell and his wife Sally, a former nurse. Its first incarnation was held in February 2016. A second forum followed last April. is year will mark the third annual Breast Cancer Education Forum. It's set for April 12th at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden, 5-8 p.m., and organizers say it will be educational, light-hearted and exciting. e focus will be on empowering patients and their loved ones through the breast cancer journey, from diagnosis through treatment, reconstruction and beyond, Sally Distell said. Several cancer specialists will speak, including Dr. Elizabeth Sawyer, a surgeon who specializes in breast cancer, Dr. Ellie Pack, a breast radiologist, and Dr. Juan Ortiz, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon. ere will also be a fashion show with breast cancer survivors modeling clothing from local boutiques. Clothing and jewelry will be among items for sale at a shopping area. And there will be plenty of food and drink and Spreading the word about the best care for breast cancer BY CATHERINE PRITCHARD opportunities for fun. e forum is being put on by the Fayetteville Area Breast Network, a nonprofit group dedicated to raising awareness in the area about breast health and local options for comprehensive care. Besides the annual forum, the network works through the year to spread its message, through literature and speaking engagements. It has also helped fund mammograms for more than 70 uninsured women and provided breast cancer patients with more than 200 bags filled with information about the disease and its treatment. "We will continue to do that," said Tyler Sutherland of the Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation, which administers the network's funds. Bruce Distell described the network as a grassroots effort of local medical personnel and community members with an interest in breast health. A key aim is to alert people The third annual Breast Cancer Education Forum will be on April 12th at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m Sally and Dr. Bruce Distell

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