Women Celebrate Health at Second Annual Mammogram Party

The Second Annual Mammogram Party hosted by Muskegon Family Care, Mercy Health Partners, the Muskegon County Health Department and the American Cancer Society was a great success.

The Mammogram Party brought approximately 120 women together for a day of pampering and partying at Muskegon Family Care’s Getty Street Clinic. During the Party attendees were treated to lunch and their choice of a manicure, pedicure, massage, or facial. The day also included several other special activities including a fashion show, a comedy skit, and dancing to tunes from live DJ Otha Bethany.

“There are a lot of fears associated with mammograms. We hope to break down some of the barriers and empower women to take charge of their lives and their health,” said Dr. Maureen Street, Medical Director of Muskegon Family Care and founder of the Mammogram Party. “We see this as a huge success and we look forward to an even bigger and better Party next year.” In the future, the Party will be held yearly on the Saturday before Mother’s Day.

Before attending the party, women went to Mercy Health Partners Mammography Department to receive their annual mammogram. Reduced cost mammograms were offered, and qualified uninsured women over the age of 39 received a free mammogram through the Health Department’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program. A certificate received at the time of the mammogram served as the entry ticket to the Party.

In addition to sharing a lot of laughs, women at the Party learned the importance of getting in tune with their bodies and being proactive with their care. A message that was best delivered from Tiawana Clay, a local breast cancer survivor.

“Breast cancer takes the lives of a lot of ladies,” said Clay. “It doesn’t matter your race or your age. Look at me, I am only 33.” Clay went on to tell the story of her experience with breast cancer. She told the women that she felt a lump in her breast after lifting weights, part of her New Year’s resolution. She explained that she felt a stabbing pain, but was scared to say anything. Her mother convinced her to call her doctor and she did so just in time. At the rate her tumor was growing waiting one more week could have been the difference between life and death.

After several surgeries and 4 months of chemotherapy and radiation, Clay is doing very well. She left the women at the Party with a strong and heartfelt message, “Don’t wait for a doctor. Get to know your body yourself,” she said. “If this can happen to me, it can happen to you. You can beat it. Don’t let it take you and don’t be afraid.”

Thanks to the following organizations who helped to make the Mammogram Party such a wonderful event: Blue Heron Academy, the Cancer and Hematology Center of West Michigan, Daniel’s Hairstyling Academy, Elder-Beerman, Lakeshore Imaging, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Parthenon Salon, Patti Gooch Massage Therapy, and Younkers.