Under pressure

Normally when she speaks to an audience, CBC News meteorologist Claire Martin is standing in front of a weather map of Canada talking about high pressure ridges and low pressure centres. Recently; however, she spoke out about a completely different kind of pressure.

The kind that you face when you are told you have breast cancer.

“I went through this pressure in November,” says Martin. “But I found out, there is hope.”

Martin has triumphed over the breast cancer she was diagnosed with in November 2009, and she credits her survival not only to her colleagues’ support, but to her early diagnosis.

One in nine women develops breast cancer. It is the second highest cancer causing death in women.

By diagnosing the cancer early, women have a much greater chance of surviving the disease.

That’s why Martin and the CBC News Vancouver team are partnering with the Burnaby Fire Fighters Charitable Society to help RCH Foundation fundraise for a $600,000 digital breast imaging machine for RCH. This technology will enable the RCH team to reduce wait list times to receive a diagnostic mammogram from eight weeks to within five days following an abnormal mammogram results.

“Having been through my own breast cancer crisis, reducing the wait time for women to receive a diagnostic mammogram is absolutely huge,” states Martin.

Rob Lamoureux, president of the Burnaby Fire Fighters Charitable Society, also knows from working with his team that breast cancer leaves very few people’s lives untouched.  As a tribute to those members who have been affected, the Burnaby Fire Fighters Charitable Society has pledged $15,000 towards the funding of the digital breast imaging machine.

“The sooner we can get this piece of equipment funded, the more members, wives, mothers, sisters and daughters we can help save.”

For more information or to make a donation to the Breast Health Centre campaign, call 604.520.4438 or go to rchfoundation.com