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Success Stories
Project: Broward County Cancer Outreach, Education and Screening Program
Story: Sè Ede Sè, stands for “Sisters Helping Sisters.”
The Haitian American Association Against Cancer was awarded a two-year grant to run the program. Besides providing outreach, workshops, and classes on breast and cervical cancer, the program trains Haitian women recruited at local Haitian churches, to address these cancers and the benefits of mammography and Pap Smears. The program, which is based on the successful North Carolina Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening program (NC-BCSP), was translated in Creole and adapted to the Haitian culture. The trained Lay Health Advisors are Haitian women who work with their local community and within their social network to encourage friends, families and others to have regular mammograms and Pap smears.
At a graduation held at the Haitian Faith Church of the Nazarene, women were dressed in the church’s choir gowns. They proudly marched into the church, in front of their congregation with a sense of purpose and pride. Words cannot describe the participation of the church congregation and the joy seen on the graduate’s faces.
Each of the trained LHA’s are encouraged to speak to at least 10 other women about importance of mammogram and Pap smears. 32 trained women speak to 10 people, which means 320 Haitian women will hear the message of early detection from her peers. Just like in North Carolina, our newly trained LHA’s or in Creole “Ajan Knoseye Nan Sante” are able to break the silence around breast and cervical cancer and lead women to have mammograms and pap smears regularly. This is turn will help women detect cancer early and save lives.
These women also refer clients to HAAAC for free breast and cervical cancer screening. This has been an incredible journey for the organization and has greatly increased the number of women signing up for screenings. This is truly a great program that will impact the staggering statistics of late stage diagnosis of cancer among Haitian women.
Project: Florida Heart Research Institute's Living for Health
Story: Living for Health
The Living for Health initiative is on a mission to find people in underserved communities who have no idea they are at risk for cardiovascular disease – the leading cause of death and disability and teach them how healthier lifestyle measures can reduce their risks. Those identified as high risk are referred for medical evaluation and are followed by the Florida Heart Research Institute (FHRI) to ensure that treatment is sought and that screeners and or physician recommendations for diet, physical activity and treatment were followed. The program connects high risk participants to medical providers and existing educational resources. Below are two testimonials from patients who went through the program:
“Hello, my name is Eduardo Garcia I participated in a health fair in August 2009. The health fair event provided me with the opportunity to check my cholesterol and glucose. After I received my cholesterol results and having no idea I had an issue, one of the screeners explained the results to me and gave me lots of advice. She explained how making healthy lifestyle changes, like eating more fruits and vegetables and exercising could help me reduce my cholesterol, lose weight and feel better. Since the screening I’ve been eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, also my family and I don’t eat white bread anymore, we buy only whole wheat. I’m still working on other lifestyle changes, especially quitting smoking.” Eduardo Garcia 305-910-4063 – lives in Florida City and was at Event #47 on 8/8/09 @ Henry Schein Free Children’s Health Fair.
“My name is Davon Williams. Since the screening in July 2009 I have lost a total of 15 lbs. When I participated at the health fair event, the person that gave my cholesterol results told me how losing some weight would help to reduce my cholesterol levels and also maintain my glucose under control. I have followed her advice and I’m eating healthier and exercising. Losing all that weight makes me feel healthier and with more energy. This program has been a great benefit to my life.” Davon Williams 786-973-7801 – lives in Florida City and was at Event # 44 on 7/25/09 @ Greater Mt. Zion AME.
Project: Women’s Breast Health Initiative
Story: A Personal Message from Founder Andrea Ivory
“As a breast cancer survivor, I was thankful for access to the early detection resources and treatment that saved my life. Throughout recovery, I thought about women who were losing their fight with breast cancer because they did not detect a problem early enough and lacked access to available treatment. In seeking a solution, the vision of The Women’s Breast Health Initiative was realized. Through mobile neighborhood outreach, we would increase awareness of breast health and access for screening to women who are uninsured and underserved by the health care system.
Because there is no cure for breast cancer, this organization was founded on the fact that early detection saves lives. We serve neighborhoods with the highest concentration of our targeted audience then go door to door providing breast health awareness, education, free mammograms for women that qualify, referrals for low or cost screening, and assistance to those participants requiring additional screening and treatment.
Thanks to our Health Foundation grant, other funders and sponsors, we are saving lives. Women have been diagnosed with breast cancer, who likely otherwise would not have had a mammogram or been diagnosed at a later stage in life, when cancer is less treatable. We have knocked on more than 30,000 doors. And we embrace the opportunity to knock on countless more as we strive to provide a no cost, proactive, preventative approach to help eradicate breast cancer as a life threatening disease, one household at a time.”
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