Meaningful Meet and Greets
This month, we joined the global effort in recognizing Breast Cancer Awareness Month by hosting two Meet & Greet events at Seifer Women’s Health and Imaging Center on October 22 and Cuda Women’s Health Center on October 24. Attendees enjoyed brief tours of both centers and meaningful conversations with dedicated breast care teams. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect, learn, raise awareness and support our community’s health and well-being.
During the evening, breast care experts, including breast surgeons Dr. Jill Oxley and Dr. Naomi Kalliath, as well as radiologists Dr. Lara Lyn Bryan-Rest, Dr. Ingrid Hyder and Dr. Hope Peters shared their knowledge on the latest advancements in breast cancer screening, risk assessment and treatment. The special events were filled with hope, powerful conversations and community connections.
Enjoy a glimpse into the evenings captured in a slideshow of photos (click on arrow at right)!
Pumpkins with a Purpose
Earlier in October, the Sandwich Glass Museum hosted The Pink Pumpkin, a special fundraiser to shine a light on breast cancer, self-care and wellness. The evening featured live music, guest speakers from Cape Cod Healthcare and a live glass-blowing demonstration by women glass artists. Throughout the museum, 70 attendees admired beautiful hand-crafted pink glass pumpkins, in varied shapes and sizes, on display throughout the museum.
Speakers Naomi Kalliath, MD, breast surgeon at Cuda Breast Care Center and Falmouth Breast Care Center, and Elizabeth Leach, MSN, RN, FNP-C, lead nurse practitioner at Cuda Women's Health Center, discussed overall breast wellness and strategies for reducing a breast cancer diagnosis.
Throughout the month of October, pink pumpkins made by local artists are available for purchase and 100 percent of the pink pumpkin proceeds at the Sandwich Glass Museum will be donated to the Cape Cod Women’s Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Fund at Cape Cod Healthcare. This fund helps patients cover the costs of diagnostic testing not paid for by health insurance.
“The fund not only provides financial support,” says Leach. “It offers hope, comfort and peace of mind to women and their families.”
Thank you to everyone who attended the event!
Words of encouragement, hope, love and joy
“One step forward until you are well again. Keep a positive attitude.”
“Remember, you are strong, you are loved, you are a survivor!”
“You can do this—even when life feels impossible.”
These powerful and inspiring words were included in a project called Words of Hope started by Elizabeth Leach, lead nurse practitioner at the Cuda Women's Health Center in Hyannis, who leads the center’s breast cancer support group.
The initiative is an invitation for women who have experienced breast cancer to share their stories or words of hope and encouragement with women who are newly diagnosed.
“Women love doing it,” says Leach, MSN, RN, FNP-C. “They love writing their stories and letting them know that other women are getting these little words of hope – literally.”
The cards become almost like a written support group. “I’ve really found that one of the best ways women move through this whole process is by being able to help other women,” says Leach. “This helps women to give back what they needed or they should have had when they were diagnosed.”
