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Spectrum Health Candid Conversations: Breast Cancer Awareness

A free community event featuring Amy Grant is being held tonight to celebrate National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  It’s the third year for “Candid Conversations”, which also honors First Lady Betty Ford’s legacy.  Those behind the event want to raise awareness and help women understand their options and encourage them to take action, if needed.

“All of the news, the press, the openness we have today, was all begun when Betty Ford, from her position as First Lady, said, we’re going to talk about this.  We’re going to tell people what’s going on.”

Dr. Judy L. Smith, Chief of Spectrum Health’s Cancer Center says because Betty Ford started the discussion, breast cancer and breast health are more openly discussed today, but she says there’s still work to do.

“Candid Conversations is to acknowledge that we still have a long way to go.  Not all women still are comfortable talking about their cancer, and also not everyone has access or has gotten their mammogram as needed.”

Amy Grant is the headliner who will sing and share her thoughts. Susan Ford Bales will also be at the Jenison Center for the Arts, honoring her mother’s legacy.  Dr. Smith, who’s also the emcee, says good news can come through early detection.

“When you are screened early with breast cancer, there’s a 99% cure rate so it’s critically important that we continue to have the conversation, particularly about screening, early diagnosis and family history, high risk.”

The event, sponsored by Spectrum Health’s Cancer Center and Spectrum Health's Betty Ford Breast Care Services, is “sold out” so to speak, but can be followed on social media via #BettysLegacy.

Jennifer is an award winning broadcast news journalist with more than two decades of professional television news experience including the nation's fifth largest news market. She's worked as both news reporter and news anchor for television and radio in markets from Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo all the way to San Francisco, California.