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Southern Tennessee Regional Health System’s sixth annual Cheers for the Girls event was well-attended last week at the Honeysuckle at Twin Creeks.

The event, held to promote National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, featured a free buffet breakfast, a talk by cancer survivor Megan Hershman and the presentation of medallions to breast cancer survivors.

Tables were decorated with pink pom-poms and pretty centerpieces.  The pavilion was filled with a lovely sea of attendees clad in pink, many wearing their special “Cheers for the Girls” T-shirts made for the event.

STRHS COO Cathy Mitchell welcomed guests and Phil Cleek, dietary services director, said a prayer before guests enjoyed a free breakfast buffet.

Scott Barksdale, imaging services director of the mammography department at STRHS, provided statistics about breast cancer and information on the importance for women to get a regular physical and mammogram.

STRHS’s Women’s Health Center offers advanced technology for 2D and 3D imaging for better and earlier detection of abnormalities with breast tissue.

The highlight of the event was the talk by cancer survivor Hershman who shared her inspiring testimony about her battle with breast cancer. After finding a mass in February 2022, Hershman was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer at the age of 34 before any routine scans would have been ordered.

She now uses her voice to encourage others to be proactive about their heath and become an advocate for breast cancer screening.

“Cancer doesn’t discriminate,” Hershman said. “It isn’t here for the strong ones or the weak ones. Cancer is just an uncontrolled overgrowth of cells in a body. Just a normal body … no close family history, no pain … no reason for routine mammograms just yet … and it happened to me. It can happen to you too.” 

 Hershman strongly advises that everyone do regular self-checks.

“Maybe set a reminder on your phone,” she said. “And most importantly, if you do feel something, call your (medical) provider that day. Do not wait. Don’t see if it goes away.

“Check with your doctors and make sure these routine and preventative tests are being ordered. You have to advocate for yourself and call back until it happens and keep going to events like this one that help people in your community not to just raise awareness, but to act on it.”   

A medallion ceremony followed with several breast cancer survivors being recognized and presented with medallions to commemorate their courageous achievement. As each survivor’s name was called, attendees waved pom-poms to celebrate their victory over the disease.

The event closed with guests taking home a free pink waste bag with small gifts inside.

Treasures, a gift shop located at 1307 Dinah Shore Boulevard in Winchester, sold T-shirts for the hospital as well as the medallions with proceeds benefitting the Multi-County Cancer Support Network, a nonprofit organization formed to help relieve the everyday crises of families touched by cancer in the eight-county area that includes Franklin, Coffee, Moore, Lincoln, Grundy, Marion, Warren and Bedford counties.

About breast cancer

Since 1985, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month has brought breast cancer into the forefront of people’s minds, raising awareness for an issue effecting about 240,000 women in the United States each year.

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, one in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.

One of the simplest ways to protect against breast cancer is to have regularly-scheduled mammogram screenings that are recommended for women age 40 and older as an essential tool for early detection in the fight against breast cancer.

Women with a family history of breast cancer may be classified as having a higher risk and may be advised to start mammograms at age 30 or 35.

A mammogram should be thought of like any other routine medical screening such as pap smears and physicals that need to be done.

It is a simple test that can be completed in only about 15 minutes. Every patient who receives a mammogram in October will be given a carnation from Food City.

In addition to the facility’s regular hours, the Women’s Center will be accepting Saturday mammogram appointments during the month of October from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 931-967-8258 to schedule an appointment.

Step beyond awareness and start enjoying the peace of mind an annual screening brings.