Our community breast cancer survivors will be honored with an open house and reception on October 11th at the Liberty Theater. Sponsored by Pacific Coast Imaging and Columbia Memorial Hospital, there will be an exhibit, The Circle Project, by Jeanne Giles Hackney a Portland photographer depicting survivors. Portraits of local survivors, photographed by local photographer Lisa Lamping, with comments from their stories will be included in the exhibit. The exhibit will be open in the McTavish Room from 12-9 on Saturday the 11th with a reception with h’ors dourvres and beverages starting at 5. State Senator Betsy Johnson, whose mother traveled the breast cancer journey, will lead a call to action for education and raising awareness of early detection at 7pm. Doctor William Armington, Radiologist with Columbia Pacific Imaging at Columbia Memorial will share the importance of digital mammography to our community.
Ms. Hackney’s objective with her photographs is” to bring the viewer’s attention to all the people in a young breast cancer patient’s life, the constellation of those around her who are deeply affected by the diagnosis. She emphasizes the fact that the diagnosis is always present, even after treatment and during remission. It touches the circle of all the people a woman loves.”
This event is part of the educational outreach of Columbia Memorial Hospital during the month of October to raise awareness of the importance of early detection of breast cancer. Oregon has the second highest incidence of breast cancer in the nation with Washington being first, with no known cause. “Komen for the Cure” and Columbia Memorial Hospital have had a partnership through the Community Grant Programs of Komen, for three years to increase education and awareness with the goal of raising the rates of screening for breast cancer in our rural county. On the average, rural areas have less education, more low income women and lower screening rates. They also have less breast cancers diagnosed at an early stage when treatment is more successful.
Because of the Komen grant and funding from the Columbia Memorial Foundation, all women in Clatsop County can receive a mammogram regardless of income or insurance status. Those women who are uninsured, underinsured and/or cannot afford a mammogram can call Nancy Magathan, RN at the Hospital, 503-325-4321 ext. 5759 for assistance accessing funds and information.
Please come to the Liberty Theater October 11th and join the Call to Action to inform more women about early detection of breast cancer.
