enterprise THE DAVIS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2022
The journey through cancer in the Hispanic/Latina community Special to The Enterprise With about 1 in 8 women (13 percent) being diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetimes, it is the most common cancer for women in the United States. In Yolo County, with a population of approximately 216,986 and a 51 percent female population, the extrapolated numbers of those fighting this disease could be as high as 13,833. One local survivor and thriver is Thriving Pink board member, Guillermina Perez, a local teacher. “I was stunned when I detected a lump in my right breast in May 2018,” Perez said. “Because there is no history of breast cancer in my family, it was something I never imagined having to deal with in my life. After four surgeries and chemotherapy, the most pain I felt was how this would impact my two young daughters. I am grateful for my friends, family, co-workers, providers, and Thriving Pink — they were all there for me. I developed such close friendships, and have a deeper appreciation for life. “Nurse Chasity Baltazar at the Davis Sutter Infusion Center gave me a Thriving Pink comfort bag
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and told me about the Yolo County based non-profit organization. In Thriving Pink I found a sisterhood of support and compassion that inspired me to keep positive, stay motivated and pay it forward,” Perez said. “I recommend the Thriving Pink workshops with their focus on wellness, resilience, and support for your diagnosis through the life challenges that follow. There are several workshops per month, some are medical workshops and others focus on peer-to-peer connection. After each workshop there is the opportunity to openly share what we are going through and ask questions in a safe place.” “I am fluent in Spanish, and it was an honor to help present financial grants from Thriving Pink to newly diagnosed women in the Spanish speaking community. Several brought their family members and young children with them that weekend. They need assistance to cover essential needs, such as medical bills, rent, groceries from their family, and prescriptions. No one should go through this journey alone,” Perez added. In the Hispanic and Latina communities, statistics show that they are more likely to be diagnosed at a more advanced stage, and are about 30 percent more likely to die from breast cancer than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. Thriving Pink board member Dr. Alicia Silva shares, “Social determinants also significantly influence overall health because they impact nearly every aspect of care, including access to insurance, preventative care and treatment. Hispanic and Latina women are less likely to be diagnosed with early stage breast cancer due to less frequent mammograms or lack of followup on abnormal screening results. This delay can result in a more advanced breast cancer at time of diagnosis when it can be more difficult to treat with
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Business Focus B8 Forum �����������������B4 Obituary �������������A3 Classifieds ���������B7 The Hub �������������B1 Sports ���������������B2 Comics ���������������B6 Living �����������������B5 The Wary I ���������A2
Dr. Alicia Silva, left, Thriving Pink Board Member, distributes brochures in English and Spanish at the local Woodland Farmers Market for Thriving Pink. a potentially worse prognosis.” “Last year, I presented a Spanish healthcare workshop for Thriving Pink and will be planning additional bilingual workshops this year,” Dr. Silva said. “We all pitch in to make phone calls and visit clinics in underrepresented neighborhoods to make helpful information available to a wider audience. I immigrated to this country and grew up in Yolo County, going to UCD Medical School. I appreciate how Thriving Pink is expanding its reach to local Spanish speaking immigrant communities, and providing Spanishspeaking peer mentors.” If you or someone you know is seeking support for a breast cancer diagnosis, you can reach out to Thriving Pink at info@ thrivingpink.org for a Pink Peer through the Mentorship Program. Thriving Pink also just launched a new website which has an easy translation feature, and recently printed new updated brochures in English and Spanish.
WEATHER
This article is submitted by the Thriving Pink Board of Directors, in partnership with KLJ Studios in Woodland.
Guillermina Perez, Thriving Pink board member, hugs a nurse to show her appreciation. Courtesy photos
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