Josie Ladd – shown accepting the breast cancer awareness proclamation from Committeeman John Legge – is a survivor and a nurse.
The Mantua committee presented a proclamation recognizing October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month to Mantua resident Josie Ladd at its Oct. 16 meeting, where the agenda was printed in pink.
Ladd is a former nurse, a regular at committee meetings and a breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed in 2011. She received the proclamation from Committeeman John Legge.
“When breast cancer is detected early, the five-year relative survival rate is 98%,” he said. “However, this rate falls to 84% for regional disease and 23% when cancer has spread to other parts of the body.”
The proclamation declared that Mantua “strongly” believes awareness of breast cancer is important to its residents and formalized the township’s recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
After sharing a hug with Legge, Ladd spoke to the meeting’s attendees about her experience.
“I just wanted to say thank you very much,” she said. “This is a high honor. I’ve had breast cancer patients for many years, but to actually find out that I was diagnosed? … Nurses don’t get sick, they just kind of fade away.
“But the thing that is most important, whether you are male or female,- because there are males who do get it …” Ladd added. “But John Legge said something really important about early detection. I would say it’s very vital to remember those annual checkups, and guys, if you have any symptoms, get checked.”
The “pink” agenda – recognizing the color as representative of breast cancer – is a tradition that was started by former deputy mayor Pete Scirrotto. The proclamation is made every year, along with documents citing heart disease and Pitt Hopkins Syndrome (PTHS), a rare neurological disorder that affects children.
“It’s one of the things that this township committee takes great concern and great pride in, recognizing all types of diseases and illnesses,” said Mayor Robert Zimmerman. “Not just early detection with cancers, but with things like heart disease and everything else. So, it’s important to get your annual physicals, it’s important to go towards all your specialists and get checked out yearly.
“We can’t emphasize that enough.”
Symptoms of breast cancer, according to the CDC, can include a new lump in the breast or armpit, thickening or swelling of part of the breast, irritation or dimpling of breast skin, or redness or flaky skin in the nipple area.
The next township meeting is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 13, at 6 p.m.
