By Mary Agidi
..as 2021 BRECAN’s Jog4Life ends in Lagos with free CBI
The First Lady of Ondo State and Founder of the Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria, BRECAN, Chief(Mrs) Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu has re-emphasised the need for early detection and presentation of breast cancer cases as panacea to surviving the disease.
According to her, surviving breast cancer is not an audio thing but a real experience; noting that it’s high time the disease was being believed to be a medical issue rather than terming it spiritual attack.
Mrs Akeredolu said this on Saturday at the Lagos edition of the BRECAN’s annual Jog4Life breast cancer awareness campaign, in Ikeja.
The awareness Jog started at Access bank, Obafemi Awolowo way off Ajao street, Ikeja bus stop and terminated at Archbishop Vining Memorial church, GRA Ikeja.
The BRECAN Founder, who participated in the awareness creation, led by Mrs. Anna Eneh, hinted that she had been participating in the Jog4Life since it started so as to put a face into the disease, being a survivor.
She said: “I don’t want to go into the belief system of our people; it’s tiring, it’s exhausting. Climbing prayer mountains up and down with no meaningful results saying that somebody is doing you, nobody is doing you. Breast cancer is a medical issue and we are to prove that it’s a medical issue nothing like spiritual attack.
“Let me also use this opportunity to celebrate Survivors; I always appreciate the fact that BRECAN at all times we put faces on breast cancer because that’s the only way we can convince the public that you can survive breast cancer”.
Mrs Akeredolu lamented the rate at which people bombarded her with late cases of breast cancer despite the enormous and consistent awareness campaign going on about the existence of the disease.
She appreciated BRECAN members and supporters for their selfless services; she said: ” I want to appreciate you in all honesty because what we are doing is a labour of love, you are not being paid, instead what we have we are putting in. It’s a responsibility that we have chosen, nobody forced you, you even pay your annual dues. BRECAN is never a place for you to come and share money”.
According to her, it’s a thing of joy for BRECAN members to put smiles on the faces of breast cancer victims whenever they successfully provide needed help for them.
“Those smiles on their faces is what we all cherish and you cannot quantify it in naira and Kobo, it’s so fulfilling and that’s why we do what we are doing”.
She, therefore, expressed optimism to spread the BRECAN’s awareness creation to all the states in Nigeria through the annual Jog4Life.
In her own remarks, the National President of BRECAN, Mrs. Tolu Taiwo stressed the need for individuals, organisations to collaboratively fight the disease, irrespective of political, tribal, religion and social differences; as she lauded the level of maturity displayed by the Bayelsa’s First Lady who embraced and partnered BRECAN to create awareness in her state, despite being from a different political platform with Mrs. Akeredolu.
She enjoined women to be conscious of their breast and do Breast Self Examination, (BSE), at all times not only during pink October awareness month.
Earlier in her welcome address, the BRECAN Chairperson in Lagos, Dr Jennifer Seidu, restated that Her Excellency started the awareness creation after her victory over breast cancer in 1997, noting that it’s a cause she’s committed to before becoming the First Lady of Ondo State, and that lots of lives had been saved through it.
She, therefore, called for individuals who are intentional about fighting the cause with BRECAN, noting that the disease had no respect for status as it attacks both the rich and the poor.
The Lead Jogger, Chief (Mrs) Anna Eneh corroborated Her Excellency by saying that breast cancer is not a spiritual attack, while affirming that the BRECAN’s awareness strategy would go a long to change people’s wrong impressions and misconceptions about the disease.
Highlights of the programme were, free medical check-up including Clinical Breast Examination (CBE), and Clinical Breast Illumination(CBI), and health talk on its risk factors and treatment which was handled by the team of Monitor Healthcare Limited, led by Dr. Taiwo Ijadunola. Others include SEKEM dance, the fun-way of teaching breast self examination, and fundraising in support of victims.
