October is international Breast Cancer Awareness Month to honor those who are fighting or have survived the disease and commemorate those who have lost the battle against the disease. This year, the Belize Cancer Society, along with the Special Envoy for Women and Children, Kim Simplis Barrow, commissioned a flyer that will be used to promote awareness of breast cancer across Belize. The flyer was unveiled at the Belize Biltmore Hotel during a special gala on Tuesday, October 15th, and showcases cancer survivors and fighters. Among the featured persons include San Pedro’s very own Chelsea Muñoz, former Miss San Pedro, and current Hodgkins Lymphoma patient.
According to the Special Envoy, the purpose of the flyer is to demonstrate that cancer “knows NO face” and that no one should live ashamed of having the disease. “It’s very important to find creative ways of getting our ladies to do their breast self-examinations and for them to get their mammograms. This is part of creating awareness, but it is also an opportunity for these ladies to take their lives back, to take control of who they are. We normally ask cancer survivors to participate in this photo shoot because they are the actual advocates, as cancer knows no age, it knows no ethnicity, and so we are all advocates and it’s important for them to use their journey if they want to inspire others to get tested and to know that we can beat this, we can survive,” said Barrow during an interview with the media.
The six participants featured on the flyer are Chelsea Munoz, Zoila Audinett, Marla Zavala, Shermadine Rowland, Nicole Haylock, and Rachel Castillo. “I was diagnosed with stage II Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. It’s a blood cancer under the same umbrella as leukemia. This road is a very tough one; anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer or is related to someone that has been diagnosed with cancer can tell you this. The reason why I decided to participate in this event is, like Ms. Kim said, to be an advocate. I believe that each and every one of us cancer survivors and those ones who haven’t survived, we all carry this story, and we can shed some light in the world to those people who are being diagnosed every single day and are fighting this. It’s really important, and it’s hard to step out of your comfort zone but that is why it’s really important to have events like this to create awareness so other people can know you can survive and you can go through this, and you’re not alone,” shared Muñoz in an interview with the media.
Every woman across the country is encouraged to conduct yearly screenings/self-examinations. Examinations are provided by local polyclinics and at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. For those diagnosed, assistance is provided by local Cancer Societies. To reach the San Pedro Cancer Society, visit their Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sanpedrocancersociety/
Organizers thank everyone who made the production of the Cancer Flyer possible, including Pink Boutique, Simi’s Beauty SALON, Makeup by Tania Tanesha, Mr. David A. Matus, Radisson Fort George Hotel and Marina, and the Best Western Plus Belize Biltmore Plaza.
Chelsea Muñoz joins cancer advocates to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Share
Read more