By Haley Wilson
The Birmingham Times
Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson has awarded Brenda Phillips-Hong, founder of Brenda’s Brown Bosom Buddies, a $10,000 grant in honor of Women’s History Month to help three local breast cancer organizations provide free mammograms.
“We know that there are people out there right now who have not been diagnosed,” said Tyson. “We know that there are people out there right now that have breast cancer and might not know it. So, we want to raise awareness through the community and underserved areas to make sure to empower the women of color that have lack of accesses to medical treatment.”
Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama, $1,000; Forge Breast Cancer Survivorship Center, $500 and Sistercancervive, $500 also received funds thanks to the collaborative health initiative that included AKA Upsilon Eta Omega Chapter, Alabama Black Women’s Roundtable and three local chapters of The Links, Incorporated.
The Tri County, Alabama chapter of The Links will help provide 50 free mammograms through September.
“One in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime,” said Vanessa Falls with the Birmingham Chapter of The Links. “Breast Cancer is the most common diagnosed disease of cancer in women. Each year it is estimated that over 252,710 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer and we want to significantly decrease those numbers by offering the free mammograms services and funding.”
Women interested in free mammograms can contact Commissioner Sheila Tyson’s office at 205-325-5074.
