Deidre Walker
KOTA KINABALU (Oct 11): Ms Supranational Malaysia 2023 Deidre Walker will help Kinabalu Pink Ribbon (KPR) to spread breast cancer awareness during Pinktober.
The KPR exco team.
A local born, Deidre is doing her part as KPR ambassador to encourage women to go for early breast check-up to save life.
Her own mother, the late Mariana Kiob who was an active KPR member, lost her life to breast cancer early this year.
Every October, millions throughout the world get involved in Breast Cancer Awareness month, known as Pinktober, a campaign that increases awareness about breast cancer that afflicts women.
One of the main reasons about the importance of raising awareness is that breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women and it is the second leading cause of death among women.
In Malaysia one in every 19 women is at risk with breast cancer with a big majority of them presenting their cases when the disease is at an advanced stage, generally due to their lack of awareness of the illness.
It is with this realisation that KPR a registered NGO, comprising mostly survivors, has come together to raise awareness, promote education, screening, early detection and provide emotional support to those impacted by breast cancer. With awareness and screening procedures, these will help in early detection diagnosis and subsequent treatments thus saving lives.
In conjunction with Pinktober month, KPR has lined up breast cancer awareness packed programs that include talks, outreach, screening – aimed at educating, encouraging women for regular breast check-up and seek treatment when diagnosed with the disease.
KPR’s newly elected President Datin Lucilla Pang said, “The public can get involved by wearing a pink ribbon as a show of support for the fight against breast cancer,” adding that pink ibbons were being supplied to hotels as well as corporate bodies in the city capital for this purpose.
In conjunction with Pinktober, KPR members, their families and friends will converge at Likas Bay for a Pink Beach Fun Walk on October 24 to celebrate life and increase awareness among the local community.
Lucilla informed that registration is open to all friends and supporters with a special limited-edition T-shirt to commemorate the occasion.
For the enthusiasts, they can support KPR’s cause through the collaborative events organized by Rasa Ria Resort Tuaran and Cycling Lab KK. There will also be a Zumba event on Oct 22 at Pan Borneo Hotel organized by Z Wellness in aid of Kinabalu Pink Ribbon.
Meanwhile, KPR proudly announced that recent breast cancer awareness outreach programs, jointly organised with the Breast Cancer Clinic of Queen Elizabeth Hospital II, in Tuaran, Kudat, Pitas, Kota Belud, Ranau, Sipitang, Papar, Tambunan and Keningau; the last two districts, a collaboration with MAKNA, were successfully accomplished with a big turnout of women from the respective districts.
The availability of resources such as the mobile ultrasound machine which was donated to Kinabalu Pink Ribbon in 2021 and MAKNA’s mobile mammogram unit (for Keningau and Tambunan) on site, many women were found with suspected lumps and required further screening at hospitals. A small number of cases were confirmed with the disease and immediate treatment given.
Joining along with their headquarters, KPR branches in Tawau and Keningau are vigorously executing their parts in alleviating breast cancer awareness.
Tawau KPR under its chairperson, Christie A. Salazar informed that the month of October is filled with awareness talks, seminars, clinical screening for women – the programs in collaboration with hospitals in Tawau, Lahad Datu, Semporna; health clinics at the surrounding municipality and districts, corporate bodies as well as schools.
“We are also raising funds in a Pink Awareness Run 2022 at the town field in Tawau on 11th December, 2022 to fund all the awareness programs and activities of the support group,” adding that one could visit her at Facebook Tawau Kinabalu Pink Ribbon.
Not to miss out is Keningau KPR headed by Yvonne Dumpangol. Although a new support group, it has achieved its targets in outreach programs, collaborating with the Keningau Hospital and MAKNA.
Yvonne mentioned about a Members’ Day on Oct 15 to celebrate Pinktober and recruit volunteers; and has also lined up awareness talks, clinical screening with the Department of Education and schools.
“Keningau Hospital is really in need of a mammogram machine for early detection to save life. At the moment, a patient has to travel to the city to get herself scanned, and most of these locals are low income earners, sometimes none at all.”
KPR hopes that the government will look into these medical facilities to help the community at large.
October being a breast cancer awareness month, the public can get involved in this campaign by wearing a pink ribbon, volunteer, educate oneself about the disease, help a cancer patient, participate in the run or activities.
“We will go all out to cover more schools next year, to create awareness, educate on early detection to save life,” Lucilla informed.
“Working together can make a difference to the challenges of raising awareness,” she added and concluded that together with the newly elected committee members would work as a team to achieve the target and more.
For information, the KPR exco team (term 2022-2024) comprise of Datin Lucilla Pang (President), Laura Bazan (Immediate Past President), Jacqueline Suinin and Susanna Kwan (Vice Presidents – Awareness & Patient Support respectively), Annie Mooi (Hon. Secretary) and Assistant Yvonne Lim; Mary Ku (Hon Treasurer) and six committee members namely – Annie Chin, Monica Phua, Alice Justine, Hjh Natrah Datuk Hj Arif, Nancy Tham and Hjh Linda Abdullah.
The support groups are headed by Christie M Salazar (Chairperson Tawau) and Yvonne Dumpangol (Chairperson Keningau).
Do visit KPR at Facebook: Sabah Kinabalu Pink Ribbon, or drop them a line at email : @kinabalupinkribbon for updates and news
