COURTESY OF D’Lana O’Neil, Executive Director of Local-Motions
This was not your typical health event. Local-Motions is an arts driven organization, however cancer affects everyone. For the past 5 years I have been actively involved in raising awarness about cancer in our community. We hear about cancer all the time and now it’s almost to the point that we have become desensitized by its devastating impact.
In 2014, we decided that cancer was affecting our membership in staggering numbers. Sometimes it’s not until the ball lands in your backyard, that you take on another view. I felt compelled to do something more before it’s too late. I wanted a way to connect families to resources. I reached out to Access Community Network, Rainbow Hospice, Rophe Care Life and Yvonne with Cisco & Cisco Productions, to help bring our community information on navigating the healthcare maze and spread the message that, “Dreams of Hope are still Alive.”
After meeting with Yvonne and sharing my vision, she contacted Sisters Embracing Life, and their president Ms. Lula Gordon unselfishly offered to secure a space at West Suburban Hospital. It was a perfect example of organizations, working together.
On Saturday, June 28, 2014, 70 locals from Austin, River Forest, Oak Park, Elmwood Park and Hillside, came out to the event. Jean Corban, a nurse from West Suburban, spoke about health issues related to youth and adults. Donnell Johnson, a male breast cancer survivor, spoke about life after breast cancer. Bridgett Stevenson the Pastor’s wife of Rock of Our Salvation Church spoke about breast cancer and the important tools she used to get through it. Over all, it was a successful event where families found out how to be proactive about their health.
