Breast Cancer Is Not A Death Sentence-Akeredolu
OLABISI OLALEYE
First lady of Ondo state, Arabinrin Betty Anyanwu Akeredolu said breast cancer is not a death sentence and survivors should raise this awareness.
Mrs. Akeredolu, who is a 24 year survivor herself and the the grand matron of the event said this at the weekend during the Cancer Survivors Luncheon organised by the Atinuke Cancer Foundation, ACF.
The event, which was held at the Cactus Restaurant, Victoria island Lagos was tagged: ‘Cancer Survivors Luncheon’.
Said she, “Breast Cancer is a disease everybody has thought nobody could survive, but here we are telling the world that breast cancer is not a death sentence; we are champions, we are warriors and we’ll keep on raising the awareness, we’ll keep on sending the message across over the country that breast cancer doesn’t have to kill if you do the right thing at the right time”.
The Founder of ACF, Tinu Lawal also reiterated that the day is meant to “Demonstrate and encourage that life after a cancer diagnosis can be a reality, never allow despair to dominate. Cancer is a monstrous disease that takes a toll on the health of individuals globally. And while some succumb to this disease, we still have those that manage to come out stronger. Instead of stigmatization of the sufferer, they should be celebrated and appreciated.
“All the survivors who attended the event looked really beautiful and gorgeous, you would never believe they all once experienced the harrowing treatment of cancer”.
Lawal further added that whoever says winning isn’t everything obviously never had cancer.
Among the survivors who graced the program was the founder of Bricon Foundation, Mrs Abigail Simon Hart.Discussion about life after cancer was shared among the champions plus accessibilities to cancer Care in Nigeria. People from all walks of life came together to celebrate life and raise awareness of the ongoing challenges of cancer and survivorship.
The ACF founder explained that one thing that could be seen as common in the attitude and outlook of the survivors was their optimism and positivity about the future. Their purposeful mindset to continue to be strong and triumph over the scourge.