By Danyel Jones
AFRO Staff Writer
Debra Sawyer (Courtesy Photo)
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Erika Akers (Courtesy Photo)
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(October 15, 2009) - For Erika Akers and Debra Sawyer, the month of October is real. And the world observes this month as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, they have an even bigger platform to tell their stories or triumph and survival.
In partnership with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the nation’s largest breast cancer foundation, Akers and Sawyer are spreading the word about the importance of staying in the know. According to the American Cancer Society, each year over 1.3 million women worldwide are diagnosed with the disease, which claims about 465,000 lives annually.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month across the world and local survivors Akers and Sawyer, along with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, are at the forefront of the global movement.
Akers, a registered nurse and mother, was diagnosed in April 2008 at age 35. “After being diagnosed, my first thought was ‘what’s going to happen to my children?,’” said Akers. “But with the expertise of my physician, my family’s support and my faith, I got through it.”
Since being diagnosed, Akers admits her life’s priority list has changed. “Family is the most important thing to me… another is spreading breast cancer awareness.”
Debra Sawyer was diagnosed with breast cancer over a year ago, and says to women living with the disease that it’s important to keep a positive attitude. The Baltimore City Circuit Court clerk, author, wife and mother talked about the importance of keeping a positive attitude despite the being diagnosed over a year ago.
“After the initial shock of being diagnosed, I decided to write about it in my memoirs,” said Sawyer. “That helped me get through most of it. But I also had my family’s support and friends and I continued to work even though they told me I would not be able to. I would get my chemotherapy on Thursdays and go back to work on Mondays.
“I think anyone dealing with this should have a kick-butt attitude about it because if you give in to the depression, then I believe your healing becomes delayed.”
Akers said getting the word out in her hometown, Baltimore, and in the state in general, is of grave importance, since the mortality rates in Maryland rank fifth in the nation. According to Komen Foundation’s Maryland division, which conducts breast cancer studies every two years, of the estimated 3,600 women in the state diagnosed this year, 810 will die from the disease.
Also, African-American women have a lower incidence of breast cancer than White women, but die at higher rates. The recent Komen study also concluded that African-American women are diagnosed with late stage breast cancer at twice the rate as White women.
With the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure taking place in Oct. 18 in Hunt Valley, development director of Komen Maryland Lenore Koors spoke about the importance of Marylanders getting involved.
“This race is imperative. Within the state, we have three areas that have alarming breast cancer rates among African-American women: Baltimore City, Charles County and Summerset,” said Koors. “So we reached out to Mayor Dixon, asking her to stand up for this disease, we also went to Charles and Summerset and talked to their commissioners. What we want to do is create a world without breast cancer.”
For more about the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, visit www.komen.org and www.komenmd.org.