Survivors, fighters and supporters of loved ones going through it came together Saturday at the Darby Borough Community Center for the Cancer Awareness & Health Summit.
Held in the month of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the room and tables were decked in bright pink as speakers shared their stories to inspire and remind the public to advocate for their health.
Although she hadn’t experienced breast cancer, co-host Theresa Terrell wanted to provide a forum where women could come and share their own testimonies around the disease.
Terrell explained that one of the three speakers, Angeline Mulbah, had wanted to host her own event as a survivor and they decided to join forces.
Mulbah said she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in February 2024.
“At the age of 40, I always went and did my mammogram that was requested and required by doctors,” she said. “The mammogram came back clear.”
However, the cancer wasn’t detected until she visited an emergency room because of pain she was experiencing.
“Another doctor told me, ‘You have cancer,’ ” Mulbah said, adding that another physician had told her it was dead tissue.
She was sharing her story at the summit to encourage community members to advocate for their health.
“At the end of the day, I can tell you what’s going on with my body,” she said of self-awareness playing a key. “Even if one person shut a door, make sure you go somewhere else.”
Since her diagnosis, Mulbah said she’s gone through six months of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation and will be on medication for 20 years.
The event featured three speakers, including Mulbah, Ruth Jordan and Larnette Chennault.
Jordan authored the book, “Lord Help! Reaching for God in Times of Trouble,” last year about some of her life experiences.
“Cancer does not discriminate,” the 81-year-old said. “I came down in January of this year with Stage 3 cancer of my left lung.”
In June, she had a lobectomy and her lymph nodes were removed.
“As I stand before you, I am still recovering from it,” Jordan said. “It’s been a very long journey because I had been hospitalized for sepsis. I almost crossed over but I made it and that’s when they found the cancer. I would’ve never known, so it’s important that we get examinations.”
She said her doctors would like her to do chemotherapy for the lung cancer.
“But I’m believing in God,” Jordan said. “I believe in holistic medicine along with regular medicine. I believe in the healing power of God.”
She added that her medical team monitors her situation every three months.
Chennault’s ordeal is intertwined with her mother.
“I am a six-year breast cancer survivor myself,” the Chester resident said. “My journey began before that because I was a caregiver for my mom, who had Stage 4 breast cancer.
“She passed away in 2020,” Chennault said of Annette Albury. “Six months after she passed, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer so it was a lot all at once to take in.
“By the time I got my diagnosis, I was grieving and trying to deal with the fact that I was just diagnosed,” Chennault said. “What got me through was just thinking about strong my mom was and what got her through and then also, I had my family, friends, my church family. I call them my ‘faith journey followers.’ “
That was the genesis of her business, Faith Journey Apparel.
“The main thing I do is I like to spread inspirational messages to help other people who are going through and even caregivers,” Chennault said. “I have a little bit for everybody, just spreading inspiration and faith … I want them to have the faith that God can heal them.”
Chennault needed to have a bilateral mastectomy and breast reconstruction but didn’t need chemotherapy or radiation.
“I had five surgeries,” she explained.
The survivor encouraged women to listen to their bodies.
“Your body will speak to you so please listen to it,” Chennault said. “Definitely keep up with your annual mammograms. Another big one is a lot of people don’t do genetic testing. They may be a carrier and you don’t know it. If you can do genetic testing, do that.”
She also recommended that if women notice any changes to their body to get it checked out.
Then, she spoke of how her business was created.
“We started a campaign for her to help with her medical expenses,” she said of her mom. “So, we just started off with just T-shirts and cups.”
They bore the slogan “Faith Journey #CancerDontLiveHere.”
“After she passed, in honor of her, I brought in the brand and I called it Faith Journey Apparel and I added more shirts with sayings that she used to say,” Chennault said, adding that the line has since expanded to include more shirts, tote bags, cups, fashion sunglasses and bling sneakers and Crocs.
Darby Borough Council President Lucille Pratt said her 87-year-old mother, Louise, was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I started hearing about different people,” the councilwoman added. “Don’t suffer in solitude. We’re in this thing together.”
Terrell said she and her husband, Paul, operate the nonprofit Love is Still Available Foundation, that offers services such as the summit.
“We create different events, try to bring people together,” the Brookhaven resident said. “This was a well-needed event and I actually specially picked each speaker so they would be able to share their story.”
Terrell explained that although this year was the first year for the Cancer Awareness & Health Summit, it’s an event she anticipates holding annually.
Source: www.delcotimes.com
