Join us at The Ruby for a CanCan Party!
What is a CanCan party? A CanCan party is a breast and ovarian health education workshop that empowers women to take action about their health. We'll discuss risk factors, family history, signs and symptoms, early detection, nutrition/exercise, cancer myths, and so forth. We'll be joined by three breast/ovarian cancer survivors to share their journeys in a comfortable setting where any and all questions are welcome Attendees will leave educated and empowered to be proactive about their health.
Attendees will leave educated and empowered to:
- know their bodies
- have conversations about their health history with their families and trusted health care professionals
- assess their risk for breast and ovarian cancer
- share this important information with family and friends
After hearing from our breast/ovarian health presenters, we'll also hear from Ruby member Faith Adiele, author of a mini-memoir called The Nigerian Nordic Girl's Guide to Lady Problems. Black women are five times more likely than white women to develop fibroids. Faith's book details risk factors, family history, and treatment.
About the presenters
Helen Chen: Helen was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 27. Her research focus has always been HIV, but after her diagnosis, she was fortunate to find a job working in breast cancer research at Cancer Prevention Institute of California. Working with CanCan seemed like a natural fit since she found her malignant lump while doing a self-breast examination. Fortunately, her mother suggested she consult the doctor who diagnosed her with Stage 1 breast cancer. Helen’s motto is, “a women’s genius is her intuition” and her goal is that every woman she educates adopts the same motto.
Jackie Mungo: Jackie is Founder and CEO of The Healing Institute. She is also a minister, a mother, a grandmother, former Health Programs Manager for African-American Outreach with the American Cancer Society, and a breast cancer “Survivor Victorious” for 26 years! Additionally, Jackie is one of the founding members of the African American Task Force of Contra Costa County, California, an organization that reaches out to under-served, under-insured and uninsured women with the goal of educating and availing them of available resources. She has done numerous televised speaking engagements and national magazine features all aimed at spreading awareness. Jackie is passionate about prevention and healing and will readily share her survivor story with any and everyone.
Mary Ladd: Mary got a surprise breast cancer diagnosis at age 39, and quickly learned how powerful a sense of humor and extra comfy couch can be when you’re sick. She openly shares the graphic details of what it's like to be a medical patient (and survivor), and often writes about health topics in her work as a professional writer in San Francisco. Mary is active in Bay Area Young Survivors and co-author of The Wig Report, a (funny) graphic novel on catastrophic illness.
Faith Adiele: Faith Adiele was born to a Nigerian father and a Nordic-American mother, and the PBS film My Journey Home documents her travels abroad to find her father and siblings, while the e-book, The Nigerian-Nordic Girl's Guide to Lady Problems, establishes her tri-cultural POV. Her memoir about becoming the first black Buddhist nun of Thailand, Meeting Faith (W.W. Norton), received the PEN Beyond Margins Award for Best Memoir. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and Nonfiction Writing Program, she has worked as a community activist and diversity trainer, and lectured and taught writing all over the world. She is finishing TWINS, an epic memoir about 4 generations of family on 3 continents.