On Thursday, October 22, Excela Health held its “Next” event in Seton Hill’s (SHU) Cecilian Hall to raise awareness of breast cancer and to help spread the message that “now more than ever, a diagnosis of breast cancer is not a death sentence,” said David S. Buck, MD, Vice-Chair of the Department of Radiology for Excela Health.
By Cody Naylor
Staff Writer
On Thursday, October 22, Excela Health held its “Next” event in Seton Hill’s (SHU) Cecilian Hall to raise awareness of breast cancer and to help spread the message that “now more than ever, a diagnosis of breast cancer is not a death sentence,” said David S. Buck, MD, Vice-Chair of the Department of Radiology for Excela Health.
The event, according to Mary Moximchalk, coordinator of community outreach at Excela, “was built around the play Next written by renowned playwright Mary Miller.”
Not only was a performance of the one-act play enacted by four of SHU’s students, but Excela also brought in “doctors to talk about mammography and the general, plastic and reconstructive surgeries that can occur when a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer,” said Moximchalk.
Said Patti Buhl, Director of Community Relations, “We were excited to partner with the university. Everyone we’ve been in contact with has been just wonderful to work with.”
Included in the long list of people from SHU that were involved in the project was senior, Brittany Huffman, who served as student director of the production of “Next” that night.
Huffman had been very interested in becoming involved in the project last year, but it hadn’t worked out. Once Excela decided to sponsor the event this year, they contacted Huffman as their first choice to direct.
“I have been personally affected by cancer on both sides of my family, so being involved with this project was important to me,” said Huffman.
The second floor of SHU’s Administration building was decorated with pink and white balloons and tables covered in pink cloth, which were covered with hors d’oeuvres provided by SHU’s dining service. There were also X-Ray photographs of actual mammograms lining the hallway leading into Cecilian.
The most striking sight that night, however, was the huge number of people crowding the hall and parlors.
Once all 360 people, mostly all women, in attendance were ushered into the room, the students’ production of “Next” was performed without a proverbially hitch. The play was full of awkward, humorous moments from the students acting out a self breast examination to Amanda Bish, junior, blurting out the line, “I should do it [mammogram] on Valentine’s Day, that way somebody would remember to squeeze me!”
The playwright Mary Miller was in attendance that night and even came to the dress rehearsal of the students’ production. Miller describes her play as “humorous, poignant and real” and added that it is “the human condition” that truly inspires her work.
The playwright was most impressed with the four young actors and the student director for “being able to work together to help one another play parts that were meant for women ages 60 to 35.”
After the play ended, a series of doctors were brought to the podium to explain not only the importance of annual mammograms, but also the various options a woman (or man) has when they are diagnosed.
“We’ve come a long way with breast cancer,” said Buck.
Buck also broke the news that digital mammography is coming to Excela in the spring of 2010. He considers this a big deal because digital imaging is “much more precise than film.”
Buck also pointed out that the equipment is expensive and Excela Health also wanted to wait to make sure the digital imaging techniques were perfected until bringing it into their facilities.
The most emotional point in the evening came when Dori Geyer, a 17-year cancer survivor, shared the story of her battle with the disease. She expressed her wish that “every woman would get a mammogram annually” so that they may catch any irregularity early enough “to prevent much of the pain” that she had to endure.
“It has been a very moving experience being a part of such an empowering event for women,” said Buhl.
Mary Miller echoed Buhl’s enthusiasm and was impressed at how the event had “brought in a whole community of women” to educate and spread awareness about the disease. Huffman was humbled as well and expressed her sentiments that everyone should “know your medical history and do what needs to be done to ensure that you stay as healthy as possible.”
When wrapping the event up, Buck announced that this event was an exciting premier to what he is sure will be a “very successful month with educating people of the community about what can be done to treat and prevent breast cancer.”
Based on the success of the “Next” event, Moximchalk stated that there is definite potential for this event to become an annual occurrence.