The long-awaited 3D Mammogram Machine has arrived at the Breast Screening Programme (BSP) of the Barbados Cancer Society (BCS), just in time to herald the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2021.
The annual Walk for the Cure and fundraising activities for October 2021, have been heavily curtailed by the recent upsurge in cases of the Coronavirus in the community but some activities will still continue.
“COVID may have stopped us from walking and doing a lot of things, but it has not stopped cancer from taking the lives of our men and women,” stated Donna Wellington, Managing Director Barbados OpCo, of CIBC FirstCaribbean, a staunch partner of the BSP.
“And so that is why we are committed to supporting cancer care and awareness organisations in Barbados and across the region and whether there is a physical walk or not, we stand firm in that commitment,” she added.
The million-dollar machine which is the latest and most modern in its class was designed by a woman and is therefore more patient-friendly as it carries a patient-controlled compression device and can take pictures of the breasts from numerous views and angles.
It is also designed to accommodate women with larger breasts and still detect smaller invasive breast cancers. The machine can also be used on those patients with implants and men who need to be tested.
This year, the bank and the BSP will be mounting a number of fundraising activities, being ever mindful of all the protocols that must be observed. Among the activities that the bank will be using to raise some muchneeded funds is the already launched Change for the Cure – where a number of change boxes have been set up in the banking halls around the island for customers to drop in their loose change.
There will also be a raffle among employees of the bank, and they will be selling shirts, mugs and cups. One innovative idea this year is the sale of pink candles compliments Native Caribbean at Pelican Craft Centre. These candles have been specially scented and named ‘Peace’ and ‘Hope’ and are designed to support the cause this year.
The well-loved Paint for the Cure will be a virtual event while plans have been hampered by COVID-19, for a Golf for the Cure event, a Hike for the Cure and the annual flea market.
On the actual Walk Day – October 3rd – persons are being encouraged to wear a Walk for the Cure shirt from a previous year, chose a 5K route and walk, run or ride by themselves or with their household, take a photo and upload to Instagram using the hashtags #CIBCFirstCaribbean and #WFTC.
We also encourage persons to donate $5 to the Walk for the Cure account to assist with the fundraising efforts.
The Breast Screening Programme is also planning to launch a jingle composed and sung by Blood and Faith, to encourage early detection. In addition, about 20 restaurants around the island will be offering pink drinks and desserts and the team will be selling trinkets and T-shirts every Saturday during the month of October at Sheraton Mall. The month of activities will climax with a Pink Fit exercise session at the Deighton Griffith School on October 31st.
Now that the machine has been purchased, the funds raised will be used for maintenance of the machine and to help lower the cost of mammograms for women visiting the breast screening clinics. (PR)
