BREAST CANCER

Button Chair creates awareness

KIMBERLY BELLAMY

The Button Chair is back at Heritage Hospital for the second consecutive year.

The hospital hosted the exhibit last year during the first week of October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This October, the community first gained the opportunity to view the display on Friday, and it will remain on display until Saturday, Oct. 17.

The chair is available for viewing from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. in the hospital's lobby.

"I am excited to have the Button Chair return this year. In addition to the exhibit being such a unique and interesting sight, it is most importantly a great teaching tool for breast cancer awareness," said Michele Cherry, Breast Cancer Task Force Manager.

The chair is completely covered in buttons representing someone who put up a fight against cancer or conquered the illness and became a breast cancer survivor.

One of the unique buttons included on the chair is one donated from former North Carolina State University head women's basketball coach who died in January after battling breast cancer. The button that belonged to her came from her Olympic jacket.

"Just think, all of these buttons represent someone," said Erma Cole of Rocky Mount who viewed the exhibit on Friday afternoon.

The symbolic, decorated piece of furniture is incased in glass and accompanied with interactive elements such as the videos documenting breast cancer stories and informative information for prevention.

The exhibit is designed to cross cultural boundaries offering information through video in not only English, but Spanish to reach the Hispanic community.

To get a more realistic view of how breast cancer affects lives, different size beads are included on the display to illustrate lump sizes at different stages.

An X-ray of a cancerous mass is also included on the display.

"It's very important that women get themselves checked because it doesn't have to be a death sentence," Cole said.

Luvinia Newton of Pinetops who also viewed the Button Chair on Friday afternoon cited the importance of people being aware of prevention and treatment for breast cancer.

"I think everyone, all women and men should know about it," Newton said.

"When I go get a mammogram, I feel like someone isn't going to get good news today."

Edgecombe ranks 16th in the nation for mortality rates relating to breast cancer according to a report released by Susan G. Komen in 2007.

The exhibit is another attempt by the Heritage Hospital Breast Cancer Task Force to spread awareness.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation manages the exhibit, and was created by North Carolina college student Brooke Kolconay Bryand in 1998.

The day following the Button Chair reappearing at Heritage Hospital the Pink Ribbon Riders/J E Harley Breast Cancer Awareness Run made an appearance at the hospital from noon-1:30 p.m. Saturday to spread awareness.

Cherry will give a presentation at the Senior Unity Breakfast at the Edgecombe County Administration Building Thursday to share the results of their research concerning breast cancer in Edgecombe County.

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