“Don’t put off your mammogram, don’t put off your mammogram,” is the strong message breast cancer patient Sandra Jackson echoed as she battles breast cancer. Jackson was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2020 after finding a lump in one of her breast while doing a self-exam. 

“The doctor came in and said it didn’t look too good but they would get back in touch with us,” added Jackson. “I got a phone call and she said that it was malignant and she said it’s an aggressive cancer and so we need to jump on this and get busy.”

One in eight women in the United States will develop breast cancer in her lifetime. 

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation in 2020, an estimated 276,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women across the United States. On average, every 2 minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer making breast cancer the most common cancer in American women, behind skin cancers. 

Today, millions of women are surviving breast cancer thanks to improvements in treatment, early detection, and increased awareness. 

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Archbold is encouraging the community to donate to the Lewis Hall Singletary Oncology Center Resource Center Fund. The Resource Center provides educational materials that are cancer specific as well as information for families and caregivers. Patient resources also include support programs for patients such as art therapy, yoga therapy, pet therapy, the Paxman scalp cooling system, chair massages, and the Brave and Beautiful Program. The Resource Center is also a space where patients can get a change of scenery, read educational materials, and relax in a calm, supporting environment.

“Because of COVID it’s more important than ever that we still have these donations come in because we’re not able to have the fundraising opportunities that we were able to do even this time last year,” said Karen Bailey, Archbold Oncology Center patient navigator. “Our Pink Affair is on hold because of COVID and last year all the money that was raised at the Pink Affair went to fund our Paxman scalp cooling system that we started last fall at the oncology center.”

Breast cancer patient Sandra Jackson has been able to retain the majority of her hair due to donations to the Resource Center Fund that helped fund the use of the Paxman scalp cooling system as she underwent chemo treatments. 

“Chemo is already so hard and then to have to suffer the humiliation of losing your hair on top of it is also hard.  It was such a blessing to not have to suffer through that part of this journey,” said Jackson. “I will always be thankful for what the hospital has done here and what they do to help women who are going through this journey because it is scary and frightening when somebody calls you and says you’ve got cancer.  You don’t know where your life is going from here and to have any piece of it is a joy that is unexplainable.”

“Cancer touches pretty much everybody, myself included, my mother is a 35-year breast cancer survivor,” said Archbold Foundation President Vann Middleton. “It’s something I think resonates with the general public and donating to the oncology resource center fund is a great way for somebody to make a charitable donation that will truly make an impact on somebody’s life here locally.”

If you would like to make a donation to the Lewis Hall Singletary Oncology Center Resource Center Fund you can call the Archbold Foundation office at (229) 228-2924 or visit www.archboldfoundation.org.