The McDan Group of Companies joined the world to crown this year’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month by organising free screening and an open forum for its staff and clients at its head office in Accra over the weekend.
In all, 30 individuals were screened and found to be free from the cancer in the morning, while about 50 people participated in the evening programme, which saw survivors share their experiences to motivate others in dealing with breast cancer.
Participants were also schooled on the need to live healthy and care for their body so they would not develop breast cancer and other deadly diseases.
Speaking with the Ghanaian Times, Mrs Roberta Huppenbauer, who chaired the sensitisation programme in the stead of the Chief Executive Officer of the McDan Group said the sensitisation was to celebrate survivors of breast cancer.
The gesture, she said was to also inspire other individuals living with the disease, and encourage family members, friends, and every individual to be supportive of people suffering from breast cancer and end stigmatisation against them.
“Today being the last day of the breast cancer awareness month, we thought it wise to share news of the awareness with our team here and those around us, including our clients and community members,” she said.
“We always make time to appear nice outwardly, but, we also have to look good inwardly concerning our health. So, as we make time to look good outside, I advise that we take care of our health seriously.
There are other deadly diseases out there that kill us women, so it’s good that, while we look at breast cancer, we also look at other deadly diseases that affect us, and detecting it earlier will save us for our family and children,” she added.
A survivor of the disease, Cynthia Quarcoo, after sharing her story of the impact of the cancer in her life with the participants said, “As a community we need to be supportive of each other.
“Even though at the time I had gone through a separation and I was ‘alone,’ I didn’t become lonely because the community was there to support me, so we have to remember that we have to reach out to those who are suffering from the cancer,” she said.
She said since the disease could be contracted within any time of the year, therefore, awareness and education should go beyond the designated month of October, saying, “October 31 marks the end of the awareness month but the story must continue.”
Sharing her experience from the programme with the Ghanaian Times, Mouna Saadu, a staff of the McDan Group said, “It has been very educative, and everyone must be free and willing to be tested, because breast cancer starts very little which you might not be aware.”
BY FRANCIS NTOW
