2019-08-01 05:22:08
ASTRO HAS SELECTED CHICAGO RESIDENT BERTHA MARISCAL, breast cancer survivor and ALAS-Wings advocate and volunteer, as the 2019 Survivor Circle Award winner. Mariscal will be honored for her service at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, September 17, during ASTRO’s 61st Annual Meeting. Citing her efforts to “give back” to cancer patients in the Chicago community, the ASTRO Board of Directors found Mariscal’s efforts “exemplary.” The Survivor Circle Award recognizes a cancer survivor who lives in the metropolitan area where the ASTRO Annual Meeting is held and comes with a $1,000 monetary award.
Mariscal was born and raised in Mexico City. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, she was treated in Mexico before moving to Chicago. Having undergone a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, she is passionate about sharing her experience with other women — especially Latina women who may face additional hurdles understanding the language. “ALAS has helped me in so many ways,” she stated, which inspired her to volunteer for the organization. “It’s hard to make an informed decision. ALAS helps women understand breast cancer and the treatment options so we can advocate for ourselves and each other.”
ALAS-Wings’ mission, according to their website, enhances the “quality of life for the Latino community by providing breast health awareness, education and emotional support programs for Hispanic/Latina women and their families” in the Chicago area. Dedicated to empowering Hispanic women about breast cancer awareness, the not-for-profit organization offers support groups facilitated in Spanish for cancer survivors and their family and friends and maintains relationships with Chicago-area hospitals, medical facilities and Latino organizations.
It was in those support settings that Mariscal learned about treatments and their effects. Inspired by the “education, love and support” Mariscal received there after treatment, she said she was so overwhelmed that “I had to give back. I went through all my treatments alone [and] I would not want anyone to go through … breast cancer alone!”
At ALAS-Wings, Mariscal volunteers by attending several support group meetings each month and helping with sign-in and set-up at ALAS on Wheels: The Mobile Salon, which rolls into neighborhoods, health centers, parish houses and YMCAs with a mission of helping survivors regain a sense of well-being, body image and self-esteem. “Many women do not accept life without a breast or without hair,” she said. Through the mobile salon, ALAS-Wings provides prosthetic bras, wigs and prostheses at no cost to women with limited financial resources.
“ASTRO members work tirelessly every day to treat patients with cancer and to find a cure for this disease,” said Thomas J. Eichler, MD, FASTRO and ASTRO president-elect in praising Mariscal. “We recognize the hardships patients endure through diagnosis, treatment and recovery. Thanks to people like you, we know that patients are getting the support and help they need.”
Mariscal said, “My passion is to provide access to compassionate services and culturally and linguistically appropriate resources.” She assists patients in becoming informed of their options, which she said is “key to choosing the best treatment.” Just being a friendly face reminds cancer patients that she is there for them. “I call women to give support after their diagnosis and go with them to their doctors’ appointments so they won’t be alone.”
She is also an advocate, attending health fairs, appearing on television and speaking on radio during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Other organizations that benefit from Mariscal’s volunteerism are the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society and other local organizations that support cancer fighters, survivors and caregivers.
“I feel good helping others. I feel even better seeing survivors thrive after breast cancer,” Mariscal said. “Volunteering is my way to make sure this happens.”
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