Philipsburg:--- Staff and students of the St. Joseph School are proud of the outcome of their breast cancer awareness initiative, which took place on Friday and Saturday, October 21 and 22.These events were, which were a Breast Cancer Awareness Prayer Day and a Breast Cancer Awareness Open House were geared at getting teachers, parents and students to think about the disease and to inform them about what measures could be taken to prevent death.
Shelly Alphonso, President of the Positive Foundation said that her organization had leant what support it could to both initiatives, noting that each year the school's activities were growing.
"They started with their program a year ago and already it has grown quite impressively. Last year both the prayer day and the open house were smaller, and when I looked around this year you could see how much they had grown and they should be commended for that. Each time an organization or a foundation comes up with programs like these, it helps us to get the message out there that early detection is still the best prevention," Alphonso said.
Alphonso explained that on the Friday students had received permission to attend school in pink and to come with names written down for whom they would like to pray. The prayers were directed at breast cancer victims, survivors and those who not doing particularly well in their fight against the illness. Students and teachers representing all of the school's grades participated and one of the teachers even created a pink cake to symbolize the school's commitment to the fight against the disease.
At the open house on the Saturday, parents and members of the public were invited to come out and receive information via DVD viewings and guided demonstrations done by the students of the American University of the Caribbean (AUC). Those who attended were also able to receive a free medical screening by Dr. Ruth Douglas.
Both Alphonso and St. Joseph Cycle 1 Coordinator Edna Letang-Baly were impressed with the turnout, though Letang-Baly said that next year she would like to see much more parents turn out for the event.
"We had a lot of people come in off the street for information and for an exam, but I missed the parents. This was done in part for them and next year I hope to see a lot more. I'm also hoping that we can have one more doctor. Dr. Douglas did a great job, but one more doctor will help to create a continuous flow," Letang-Baly said.
Natalie Angus, one of the AUC students who helped with the hands on presentations, explained that her participation was a part of the university's community action day and that she had chosen this event because it allowed her to interact closer with local St. Maarteners. She said that her group had been showing DVD's and also allowing them to use fabricated breasts to search for lumps in order for them to understand what they should be looking for.
"A breast self exam should last about 10 minutes and should be done at least once a month. During the initial month it can be done everyday just so women get an idea of what their breast tissue feel like. After that it should become a once a month habit for all women over 20. Women can know their own breasts best and so can note changes in them which they can share with their doctors. This is why it is very important that women become familiar with their breasts," Angus said.
Both the St. Joseph School staff and the members of the Positive Foundation extended thanks to all who participated in the event, especially Dr. Douglas and the students of the AUC who donated their time and expertise.
