MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) -
Breast cancer survivors, the American Cancer Society, the Joy to Life
Foundation, and volunteers filled the steps of the Alabama State House Wednesday.
They were there pushing for more funding for a program that provides mammograms and pap tests
for women who can't afford them.
Breast cancer will kill an estimated 40,000 women in America
in 2014, making it the second leading cause of cancer deaths among
women.
The Alabama Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection program
provides free pap tests and mammograms to women who are under-insured or don't
have any insurance at all.
These are tests that go a long way in fighting the disease.
"Once they qualify for the program, they
then qualify for Medicaid to get the treatment they require, or whatever
necessary to treat their breast cancer," explains Ginny Campbell with the American Cancer Society.
"I am a 13 year survivor," says Barbara Harrington, "and it was through a mammogram that I
was detected to have cancer. It was a tumor that no human could feel, and
so a mammogram saved my life."
Harrington says she wants to stress that there are some cancers that you just can't determine by self breast exam.
Speaking on funding, Campbell says the program has gotten $244,333, but their trying to get that increased to $400,000-450,000.
The legislature this year has increased funding for the program to
round it out at an even $300,000.
Copyright 2014 WSFA 12 News. All rights reserved.
Ginny Campbell
Barbara Harrington
