Essequibo students, teachers walk for breast cancer awareness

Students and teachers of the Aurora Secondary School and the Huist Dieren Primary School on Friday teamed up to hold their first Breast Cancer Awareness walk through the streets of Pomona Housing Scheme, Essequibo Coast.

October is observed as Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Miss Rona Isurdeen who is also a part-time counsellor and Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) teacher at the Aurora Secondary School told the News Room that she first raised the idea after learning of several persons who lost family and friends due to various types of cancers.

The school also remembered a former student, Shoma Motiram who recently died as a result of cancer.

“It’s a serious dilemma and we all need to raise awareness about this. We are doing our part and will continue to do this every year,” she noted.

At the village’s play field and pavilion, the students were educated on the various types of cancer. They were told of how and when they need to be examined and to encourage their family members to undergo mammograms and other tests because as the theme for Breast Cancer Awareness month says “early detection saves lives.”

“At age 40-60, persons should start screening but if a family member died from cancer you should start 10 years earlier,” the students were told.

Also joining the walk was a Peace Corps Volunteer, Sir Connor Mc Carley, Graduate Senior Master- Sir Anand Bissoon and others.

The students were given pink balloons which they later let into the air and pink ribbons to pin to their uniforms as they participated in the awareness walk.

The school is among several agencies and educational institutions across the country which have held awareness walks during the month of October to ensure that persons are more educated on the disease.

Recently, the Cancer Institute of Guyana disclosed that there have been 110 cases of breast cancer recorded for the year 2019 thus far.

In 2018, the institute treated 273 cancer cases and 300 in 2017.