To My Sisters... A Gift For Life

BY JOURNEY TO WELLNESS

A Television Special sponsored through a grant from the National Cancer Institute (Grant #5R44CA60360-03)

To My Sisters...A Gift For Life is a 40-minute television special hosted by Debbie Allen that examines the problem of breast cancer in the African-American community. The first show of its kind, it was created in response to the critical need for breast cancer education in the African-American community. The show presents interviews with medical professionals, profiles of breast cancer survivors, and words of encouragement and advice from a hostnof recognizable African-American celebrities.

The goal of To My Sisters...A Gift for Life is to motivate African-American women to take charge of their health and get checked for breast cancer on a regular basis. The show was made possible through a grant from the National Cancer Institute, with additional funding provided by the American Cancer Society – an unprecedented "dual gold stamp" of approval for a project of this nature. The program also received a Profiles in Progress award, which recognizes excellence in media coverage of breast cancer.

To My Sisters...A Gift For Life offers:

• Key statistics and facts about breast cancer and African-American women.
• Important practical information on how to improve a woman's chances of surviving this disease.
• An explanation and demonstration of breast cancer screening techniques—breast self-examination, clinical breast exams, and mammography.
• A tour of a mobile mammography unit.

To My Sisters...A Gift for Life draws its power from the personal stories of African-American breast cancer survivors from all walks of life:

• Brandyn Artis was an actress looking for her big break when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a radical mastectomy in 1987. Keeping a diary of her personal thoughts as a means of coping with her experience, Artis went on to write and star in a critically acclaimed, one-woman show based on her diary, Sister Girl.
• Zora Brown had a history of breast cancer in her family and was greatly concerned for her own health. When she was diagnosed with the disease, Brown decided to commit her life to the fight against breast cancer on behalf of all women.
• Mary Chatman feared losing her new husband, Dennis, because of a breast cancer diagnosis. Instead, she found him a source of strength as they struggled to beat this devastating disease together.
• Melinda Dockery went to her doctor for a routine check-up and wound up in the hospital for 5 days after her doctor found a lump the size of a plum in her breast.
• P.J.Viviansayles was a single mother supporting herself with a low-paying secretarial job when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1991. Frustrated by the lack of support for African-American women, Viviansayles founded the Women of Color Breast Cancer Survivors Support Project in her South-Central Los Angeles neighborhood to provide breast cancer education and outreach to her community.

African-American celebrities also play an important role in driving home the key messages about breast cancer early detection in To My Sisters...A Gift for Life. Featured in the show delivering heartfelt advice and words of encouragement are Debbie Allen, Tina Lifford, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tisha Campbell, Kim Field, Kim Coles, Arnetia Walker, James Avery, Patti LaBelle and Maya Rudolph, daughter of the late Minnie Ripperton.

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