Written by Brittany DeLong —
Fredda Bryan has two birthdays. There’s the day she was born and the day that changed her life—her “Survivor Birthday”—when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer on July 7, 2002. Bryan considers both days worthy of celebration as they respectively mark important milestones in her life.
At 36, Bryan was healthy and thriving as an air traffic controller in the Navy. It was during a routine self-breast exam that she felt a change. Her doctor at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth found a lump the size of a pea in her breast, which ultimately led to her cancer diagnosis. She had a lumpectomy followed by a mastectomy and underwent a series of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. She resumed life as usual, cancer-free, until the unthinkable happened.
Five years later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, again, which had metastasized to stage four.
“This was a big life change for me as I could no longer serve in the Navy which was such an important part of my life,” Bryan says. “But there was a different plan for me.”
That plan was for Bryan to help educate and empower other women on breast cancer prevention and resources. Today, Bryan serves as the Associate Director of the Portsmouth Partnership to Beat Breast Cancer, an alliance with the American Cancer Society. The partnership aims to bring breast cancer awareness to women in Portsmouth, the city with the second highest breast cancer mortality rate in Virginia. Bryan’s experiences make her particularly well suited for the role as it was after her own diagnosis that she originally reached out to ACS for cancer resources.
The partnership, established two years ago through a $300,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation, utilizes volunteers known as Community Health Advisors. These volunteers, who undergo 10 hours of training, connect with women in the Portsmouth community to help address barriers and facilitate conversations about breast cancer. One such barrier includes reducing the disparity of cancer diagnoses between races.
[quote]“We want women to know that breast cancer doesn’t have to equal death.”[/quote]
“African American women are often diagnosed later than their Caucasian counterparts,” Bryan explains. “The very inspiring aspect of this program is that women have been able to be diagnosed earlier on.”
Carolyn Smith, a retired teacher, has volunteered with the partnership since its inception. She recognizes the grassroots nature of the program and recalls a first-hand experience she had with a friend who delayed getting a mammogram. After months of persistence, the friend finally heeded Smith’s advice and received an early stage breast cancer diagnosis. After chemotherapy, her friend is now in remission.
“It has been quite a journey, but a pleasant one,” Smith says of her time volunteering. “I realize the importance and significance of what we’re trying to do, getting these ladies healthier.”
Bryan notes that this initiative is particularly unique in that it is the only type of such organization in Virginia in terms of peer-to-peer interaction.
“Our volunteers are women who are stakeholders in Portsmouth,” she says. “It’s like when you drop a pebble into a pond and watch the ripples. We have been able to see a direct impact with the type of work we’re doing in that women who initially reached out to us are now volunteers.”
Just in the last month, the initiative was able to fund close to 300 mammograms for women. Additionally, Bryan notes many other efforts such as funding five previously existing health ministries, hosting breast cancer awareness teas and providing mobile mammography units.
“Our goals are multi-pronged, but ultimately we want to shift the mortality rates,” Bryan concludes. “We want women to know that breast cancer doesn’t have to equal death.”
Learn More
For more information on the Portsmouth Partnership to Beat Breast Cancer and the American Cancer Society, visit www.cancer.org.
You can also talk with a Cancer Information Specialist 24/7 at 1-800-ACS-2345 or through live chat on the ACS website.
Fredda Bryan can be contacted by phone, (757)493-7940, or email, Fredda.Bryan@cancer.org.
