Stars walk vs breast cancer

Breasts. Unfortunately, in this chauvinistic society, women’s breasts are just a pair of anatomical parts to determine a woman’s desirability and sexiness.

Media has also exploited it (through film and sex magazines), made fun of it (barroom jokes) and hardly is it ever acknowledged as the vessel that contains the source of man’s first nourishment in this life.

But there are some changes now, however, and there are sectors in media that are more sensitive – especially in these times when there are advocates for breast cancer awareness.

Last week, I was watching Moms on QTV 11 and among the panelists were breast cancer victims Bibeth Orteza and Maritoni Fernandez. Both women are friends of mine (especially Bibeth since we go back a long way).

But I don’t remember discussing with them their medical conditions because I thought it was a very private thing. It was basically ignorance from my end.

That Moms episode, however, opened my eyes to the fact that breast cancer (or even other illnesses) are best discussed publicly so that we may all throw in our support to the victims who suffer unbearable pain, especially during chemotherapy.

There are other issues related to breast cancer that were discussed in Moms like the matter of the victim not feeling whole again after a breast had been removed. What us men can do perhaps is to be supportive if a spouse, a sister, a friend or even an acquaintance had been diagnosed to have breast cancer. Or maybe we can just give our support in any way to the cause of breast cancer awareness.

I’m very happy therefore that Avon has launched a campaign called Kiss Breast Cancer Goodbye (KBCG) to create awareness about this medical problem and to help raise funds for the cause. (Can you imagine how many indigent women there are who are stricken with breast cancer, but can’t afford chemotherapy – or can’t even buy medicines to relieve pain?)

As part of its contribution to the cause, Avon has pledged to give P5 to the campaign for every sale of specially marked Avon lipsticks, intimate apparel and fragrances.

And tomorrow, Avon is also organizing the Avon Walk Against Breast Cancer, a fund-raising event that will be held simultaneously in Manila (SM Mall of Asia), Cagayan de Oro (DV Soria cor. Tirso Nery St.) and Bacolod (Rizal Park). There’s a registration fee of P50. Proceeds will benefit the PGH Breast Cancer Center, Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro and the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod. For inquiries, visit any Avon branch in Metro Manila, Cagayan de Oro or Bacolod or call the Avon help desk at (02) 864-2900 or (02) 864-2902 or Ernie Legaspi of Stratworks at 751-3805/06.

Among the celebrity participants in the Avon Walk Against Breast Cancer are Lea Salonga, Tweety de Leon, Jolina Magdangal, Iza Calzado, Amanda Griffin, Angel Locsin, Angelica Panganiban, Bea Alonzo and Angel Aquino.

These famous women are throwing in their support to this project because as Jolina Magdangal says: "Breast cancer is no joke, but something can still be done and as early as possible we should find out and get a check-up."

In the case of Angel Locsin, she says that she has seen close friends succumb to it and "I don’t want that to happen anymore to any of my loved ones."

Iza Calzado also feels she should take part in this fight against breast cancer for a really personal reason – a tragedy that hurt the entire family.

When she won her Urian trophy last year, she was very happy. But it was a bittersweet moment for her. Although she felt victorious, her biological mother (who passed away years earlier) and stepmother (who loved her dearly) were no longer around to witness one of the happiest moments of her life.

Her stepmother (whom she had regarded as a real mother) had died weeks earlier. She succumbed to breast cancer.