Women, Kids from the Heartland Express Feelings about Breast Cancer

OKLAHOMA CITY--Project Wo-man, a committee of the American CancerSociety (ACS)--has published a book depicting the experiencesof Oklahoma women with breast cancer as expressed by the womenthemselves, their friends, children, and other loved ones throughstories, photographs, and artwork (see illustrations at rightand on page 1).

'To Hear Their Voices'

"This is the kind of book I wanted to read when I learnedthat I had breast cancer," said Roseanna D. Smith, who chairedthe project. "I knew I could get answers to the medical questionsfrom my physicians . . . but what I wanted most was to hear thevoice of someone who had been there."

Project Woman consists of representatives of hospitals, mammographyscreening facilities, health care professionals, community volunteers,and breast cancer survivors. Oklahoma's First Lady, Cathy Keating,serves as honorary chair for the book project, which grew outof a 1995 photographic display honoring the lives of several Oklahomawomen who had experienced breast cancer.

"The dream of Project Woman," Ms. Smith said, "isto encourage all women with breast cancer to tell their stories--keepa diary, write a poem, record a daily log of what happens andhow you feel. And we trust that reading the stories and seeingthe pictures in this book may serve as a balm to others."

All proceeds from the book, A Portrait of Breast Cancer--Expressionsin Words and Art, will go to Project Woman, to further breastcancer education and provide free or reduced-cost mammographyscreening.

For more information about the Portraits book or to order a copy,contact the American Cancer Society--Heartland Division, at 1-800-733-9888.