48 Year Survivor Named Honorary Chair
“Emerald Coast Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” (MSABC) has named a 48-year breast cancer survivor as the honorary chairman of their 2009 walk. Betty Sandage is a resident of the Hawthorn House, the assisted living facility at the Air Force Enlisted Village (AFEV) in Shalimar, Fla.
“At last year’s Walk, the AFEV had a multi-seat golf cart decorated for the Walk in pink boas and signs and the survivors all carried hand fans with the number of years they had beat the disease prominently displayed,” began Emily Jennings, Community Representative for the American Cancer Society (ACS) in Fort Walton Beach. Emily serves as the ACS spokesperson for MSABC event on the Emerald Coast. To Emily the job is personal as she lost her Father to cancer when she was three-years-old.
“We’re inviting everyone to come out on Saturday, October 24th for our 9:00 a.m. Walk to meet Mrs. Betty, to celebrate with the other survivors, and to remember those for whom a cure did not come soon enough.” Jennings continues.
October is breast cancer awareness month and the Making Strides 5K walk is a way to raise funds for breast cancer research. Emerald Coast’s MSABC is in its 5th year and begins at the Village Baptist Church in Destin, follows old highway 98 and returns to the Church after the noncompetitive walk. The 2008 event raised $47,000 for research toward a cure for breast cancer and the 2009 goal is $52,000. In 2008 the State of Florida had 11,850 new cases of breast cancer resulting in 2,760 deaths making Florida the 4th highest state in the nation.
Registration begins at 8 a.m. with an 8:30 salsa dance warm-up and survivor photos taken. The walk will be led by the Hawthorn House golf cart, with the crowned Honorary chair – Mrs. Sandage, and “court” of other breast cancer survivors who are her neighbors in Hawthorn House, each with their survival year on hand fans. Participants will return to the Church for music by the Destin Middle School jazz band and the awards presentation. Awards include recognition of the team who raised the most money, most spirited, and best dressed.
“Seeing Mrs. Sandage on that walk holding a ‘Survivor for 48 years’ fan will give hope to those who have fought breast cancer,” Emily said. “Whether they are three or ten years out from diagnosis, she will be a great source of hope to each of them and hope is so important.”
Sandage is 48 years past her breast cancer diagnosis which came when she was 40 years old. The 87 year-old survivor says that her diagnosis came after she discovered a “pea sized” lump in a breast.
“Back then,” Sandage began. “You didn’t do self exams or even talk about them. My husband was in the Air Force Strategic Air Command and he was being reassigned to another Post, our first move, and I just waited till we finished the move to get a physical before going back to work.”
“The doctor took one look at me and said he’d like to do surgery the next day – the surgery was a radical mastectomy.” She continued. “They did skin graphs from my thighs and at that time no one gave me a prosthesis option so I just stuffed my bras with Kleenex!” she smiled and said.
“I had a cause to help and I got on it in Maine as a volunteer in the Reach for Recovery program.” Sandage recalls. “I spoke to women recently diagnosed and told them that they would swim again and raise their arm in the air again!”
“Since I did not have an encourager with my diagnosis and surgery I made myself into one!” She adds.
In the 48 years since her diagnosis Sandage raised two daughters and a son, lost her husband of 40 years, was a great seamstress, traveled extensively through Europe and especially enjoyed her time in the Holy Land. She moved to the AFEV 19 years ago and today, she enjoys listening to all types of music, loves reading – she averages two books a week. She is a member of the Red Hat Society at the Hawthorn House and enjoys holiday activities.
“Being crowned honorary chairperson for MSABC is such an honor,” she said. “If I could just get the message out to women that early detection is the key to survival, I would be thrilled! I wish every woman knew the importance of self exams and I wish they would share the importance with their daughters and their granddaughters and their great granddaughters!”
The MSABC 2009 event is co-chaired by Debbie Head and Julie Wall, sonographers from Sacred Heart Hospital in Destin. The co-chairs are well aware of the importance of early detection as they work in the Olson Women’s Diagnostic Center specifically designed to centralize all screening and diagnostic appointments for mammograms, stereotactic breast biopsies, ultrasounds and bone density scans. For more information on Making Strides for Breast Cancer 2009 please call 850.244.3813 or visit the website link www.cancer.org. For more information on the Hawthorn House please call 850. 609.2550.