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Featured Commitment Maker: The Ormylia Foundation

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At the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Summit in 2009 we initiated a global call for Commitments in the fight against cancer. Nearly 300 organizations, individuals, leaders and corporations made formal Commitments. As a way of highlighting their immense efforts in battling this disease, we will feature a different organization each week, sharing stories of progress and success from around the globe.

ormylia

This week takes us to Chalkidike, Northern Greece where The Ormylia Foundation?s Panagia Philanthropini Center is making a profound difference in the lives of many underprivileged women living in remote communities in the area. Much of northern Greece is made up of hard-to-reach seaside and mountain villages where residents had no access to organized cancer screenings before the center?s creation. In response to this severe lack of access to care, the Center began providing free screenings to underprivileged women in 1991 and has since then also begun educational outreach.

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In response to LIVESTRONG?s call for Global Commitments in the fight against cancer, the Ormylia Foundation formally committed to scaling up their outreach to groups that are acutely underprivileged- primarily Muslim religious groups (Pomaks, Romas and other Turkish speaking communities) from the former Soviet Union, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Ormylia?s initiative is uniquely holistic, focusing on not only keeping women healthy, but advocating for their quality of life: ?By detecting early-stage breast and cervical cancer, and subsequently employing less invasive treatment, this program will prevent the deterioration of the social web of these fragile populations, keeping women healthy and productive with a high quality of life.?

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With a goal of scaling up their annual screenings to reach 35,000 women in the next five years, and with a 95% survival rate for women diagnosed, Ormylia is making an incredible impact on the lives of women who need their care.

LIVESTRONG proudly supports the Ormylia Foundation?s efforts, and we look forward to sharing their continued success.

Blog by LIVESTRONG staffer Rebekkah Schear and intern Lance Pyburn.

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  • http://www.bcaction.org Zoe Christopher

    Please – before you expose thousands of women to ionizing radiation, particularly at early ages, and before you tell them they need mammograms on a regular basis starting at an early age, read the recent USPST screening recommendations, as well as recent studies on the harmful effects of accumulated radiation in the body. Please educate them first about screening so that they can make good choices for themselves – http://bcaction.org/index.php?page=newsletter-108a

  • friend of Ormylia

    Zoe: your comments are very thoughtful and show great respect for women in need of breast care. I have been a consultant with the ACR for many years and know about Ormylia’s work from friends who are senior experts in the field and who have visited the facility repeatedly. This is an exemplary program! Their collaborations are impressive: working with Centers such as Mayo Clinic and Karonliska, just to name a few. This program is one of the most sensitive and caring breast screening programs I have ever come across. The respect and sincere love that is show to all women who attend screening is extraordinary to say the least, moving even experts who have been working in the field for decades. From what I have learned younger women receive clinical breast exams and are taught self breast examination one on one, something that even in large centers with available resources is not done! The women who are in the age range for mammography screening receive all of the above plus free mammography. Every women is given literature and also participates in educational workshops that are held specifically while the women wait to be screened; I repeat this is a model program!
    The controversy sparked recently regarding mammography by the task force, unfortunately is primarily based on economic factors and driven by the insurance companies who are trying to get out of paying for mammography. Tens of major scientific studies show the importance that this screening tool has and also the effect on reducing mortality using mammography which at this time is second to none. A simple search on the American College of Radiology website, Komen Foundation, and other reliable sources of information will provide plenty of evidence for you regarding the benefits of mammography. Keep caring about the rights of women and asking questions! It is very important that you remain thoughtful and engaged. I urge you to go see Ormylia in person if you have a chance, or at least get to know them. If you are of Greek descent (judging by your name) permit me to suggest that you help mobilize your fellow Greeks abroad given that Ormylia needs financial support! Their main expertise is caring for under served women who have no other options.