Gift of Life celebrates life this Mother’s Day by encouraging lifesaving breast cancer screenings

Published 10:18 am Sunday, May 9, 2021

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Gift of Life is celebrating Mother’s Day by honoring all Southeast Texas women: mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, daughters and friends. This year more than ever, it especially is important to schedule vital life-saving mammograms. Early detection through a yearly mammogram, annual clinical breast exam and monthly breast self-exam are the best protection against breast cancer.

With compassionate care and commitment, Gift of Life has adapted its program delivery of services during Covid-19 to continue meeting the needs of the most vulnerable individuals in our communities. Throughout the pandemic, the organization has remained connected to its core mission of saving lives with the provision of critical health and wellness outreach for medically underserved clients throughout seven Southeast Texas counties.

With the generous support of its community partners and other benevolent donors, Gift of Life has continued its Women’s Breast Health & Cancer Prevention initiatives by providing free breast cancer screenings and diagnostic tests each month at Baptist Hospital Dauphin Women’s Center and Baptist Hospital Orange. Through its more than 28-year collaboration, Baptist Hospital has been a faithful partner in support of the program’s breast health continuum of care.

Gift of Life Founder and Chair Regina Rogers affirms, “Mothers (and women in general) often put their families and loved ones before their own needs. As we celebrate the women in our lives this Sunday, it is a wonderful opportunity to encourage them to make their health and wellness a priority by scheduling their annual mammogram.”

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, except for skin cancers. Approximately 1 in 8 women in this country will develop invasive breast cancer during her lifetime. This year, it is estimated that 281,550 women will be diagnosed with the disease. Decreases in breast cancer morbidity rates are directly attributable to earlier detection through screening and enhanced awareness, as well as progressive treatment options. Early detection truly is the best protection.

Gift of Life has provided thousands of women with breast cancer screenings and additional diagnostic tests, including ultrasounds and biopsies, when necessary. Since its inception, the program has been fortunate to have helped extend the lives of nearly 275 Southeast Texans diagnosed with breast cancer and navigated to treatment.

Breast cancer does not stop for a pandemic, and neither will Gift of Life.

Appointments are currently available for women who cannot afford medical care and either have no insurance or a high deductible.

Eligible women are encouraged to contact Gift of Life TODAY to find out if they qualify for a free mammogram.

Please call Gift of Life at 409.833.3663 or visit giftoflifebmt.org for more information