|
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media
Contact:
Ron Harris
Director of Communications
Office of University
202.683.0182
rjharris@howard.edu
Howard
University Pharmacy Fraternity Raises Funds and Breast Cancer Awareness
 |
WASHINGTON
(Nov. 22) – The
Howard University School
of Pharmacy chapter of
Kappa Epsilon donated
$1,400 to Howard University
Cancer Center and held
a Breast Cancer Awareness
Brunch recently at Blackburn
Center as part of the
professional pharmacy
fraternity’s ongoing
battle against breast
cancer.
The
organization raised
more than $4,000 through
donations from Wal-Mart,
Rite-AID and proceeds
from a brunch in the
Art Gallery at Blackburn
Center. The brunch,
however, was primarily
for education more than
for raising money, said
Jasmine Carpenter, the
third-year student in
the School of Pharmacy
and Kappa Epsilon member
organized the event.
Carpenter, originally
from Washington, said
that she wanted to do
something simple and
local as part of her
organization’s
bigger push to create
more breast cancer survivors.
“
I
said, ‘The Cancer
Center is right here
at Howard,” Carpenter,
22, recalled.
“Why not help
Howard?”
So,
she did. About
60 people enjoyed the
food during the September
brunch as they listened
to breast cancer survivors
and health
care professionals talk
about surviving the
disease.
|
| Howard
University School of Pharmacy
student Jasmine Carpenter,
(from left), a member
of Kappa Epsilon fraternity,
organized the Breast Cancer
Awareness Brunch recently
at Blackburn Center, at
which survivors Joan Oboite,
Juone Darko and Jacque
Perry told participants
about their own struggles
with the disease and offered
encouragement. |
|
Breast
cancer survivors Joan
Oboite, Juone Darko
and Jacque Perry told
participants about their
own struggles with the
disease and offered
encouragement.
“It
was about not losing
hope,” Oboite
said about her triumph
over breast cancer.
Oboite works in radiology
and oncology at Howard
University Cancer Center.
Dr.
Daphne Bernard, assistant
dean and professor of
Howard University School
of Pharmacy, opened
the program with a poem
about breast cancer.
Dr. Gladys Onojobi,
a Howard University
Cancer Center specialist,
talked about risk factors,
treatment options, as
well as interesting
findings concerning
breast cancer and race.
Some
women with a family
history of breast cancer
or who have already
had breast cancer have
become more proactive
by having their breasts
removed and reconstructed
early, she said.
Onojobi
also informed the audience
of proper time to perform
self-breast examinations,
which is ideally once
a month, best following
menstruation.
Historically, African
American women have
often been diagnosed
with more aggressive
forms of breast cancer
that may not be amenable
to current treatment,
while others do not
seek treatment until
the cancer has progressed,
due to many factors
including less access
to health care, she
said.
The
funds donated to the
HU Cancer Center will
go towards providing
free mammograms for
women who are uninsured
or whose insurance does
not cover the procedure.
|
|
