For Immediate Release Contact: Barbara B. Kavanagh, MSW
Founder/President
Arizona Myeloma Network
623.388.6837
azmyelomanetwork@cox.net
Arizona Myeloma Network Promotes Cancer Awareness to the Navajo Nation
May 9, 2009 (Glendale, AZ)
The 2nd Fort Defiance Cancer Awareness and Advocacy Conference, sponsored by the Arizona Myeloma Network (AzMN), and the John Wayne Cancer Foundation, is scheduled for July 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Navajo Nation Museum located at Arizona 264 and Postal Loop Road in Window Rock. The conference is free and open to the public. This important event has been designed specifically for cancer patients and their families, health care providers, cancer advocates, outreach workers, medical and nursing students, educators, and researchers, tribal officials, and others who are concerned about cancer at Fort Defiance and the Navajo Nation.
The conference includes a continental breakfast and registration from 8:30 to 9:00 a.m. followed by a full day of presentations and workshops. The program will conclude at 4:30 p.m. with a panel and action plan. Proposed workshop topics include Cancer 101: Basic Facts of Cancer; Cutting-edge Research and New Treatments; Living with Cancer: Managing Side Effects and Symptoms; Caregiver Support Groups; Nutrition; Naturopathic/Integrative Cancer Treatments; and Navajo Healing among others.
The event has been made possible through the support of the John Wayne Cancer Foundation, the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), pharmaceutical companies, the Arizona Department of Health Services' Comprehensive Cancer Program, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, and the Arizona Council of Indian Healthcare.
The AzMN hosted its first Fort Defiance Cancer Awareness and Advocacy Conference in October 2008 which was attended by more than 200 members of the community who expressed gratitude for the opportunity to gain knowledge and share their experiences. Attendees also requested future outreach activities. The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Research Grants Program awarded Barbara Kavanagh, AzMN's Founder/President, funds to complement services and programs already working in the Fort Defiance region.
The John Wayne Cancer Foundation is an AzMN "Platinum" sponsor of the July event. The foundation is named for the Academy Award-winning actor famous for the classics "Stagecoach" and "The Searchers," both filmed in the Navajo Nation¹s Monument Valley. The July conference hopes to attract more than 300 attendees and provide an ideal forum for vendors and sponsors to present information about cancer and related health care services and products to assist patients in dealing with this devastating disease. It is an opportunity to bring new cancer services and programs to an under served population while encouraging collaboration among resources.
With nearly 300,000 members spread across 27,000 square miles of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, the Navajo people comprise the second largest Native American population on tribal land in the U.S. An estimated 40 to 50 percent of Navajos are unemployed. Most live in poverty. Nearly 250 people registered and participated in the AzMN's 2008 conference despite inclement weather. Numerous private, tribal, and cancer resource groups set up booths and distributed information at the event.
Mechelle Morgan-Flowers, a long tenured nurse at Fort Defiance Indian Hospital and collaborator with the AzMN said, "Cancer has traditionally been a taboo subject among Native people. Individuals have had to face diagnosis and treatment without support and resources. The AzMN conference showed people that cancer is not the fearful subject it once was and instilled a sense of hope. The information presented last year, increased awareness of the importance of regular screenings, early diagnosis, treatment options and resources that are available. I have taken hundreds of emails and phone calls from people wanting to help and share, and I am hopeful the program will continue to grow."
A motorcycle Fun Ride for bikers is scheduled on Saturday, July 18 starting at the Navajo Nation Museum. Contact person, Forrest Collins said, "All brands, sizes, shapes, and colors are welcome - same goes for the riders." Lunch will be served to participants at noon at the Museum following the ride. "We have seen what cancer has done to our people. We will be riding to bring awareness of this devastating disease and to let people know that there is help and hope available." For more information Fun Ride, please call Forrest Collins at 928.871.4536 (home) or 928.206.6421 (cell).
About Barbara B. Kavanagh and the Arizona Myeloma Network (AzMN)
Barbara B. Kavanagh, MSW, founded the AzMN, a non-profit organization in June 2004. The AzMN provides outreach and education for Myeloma cancer patients; their families and caregivers, with special consideration to under served populations such as African Americans, Asian-Pacific, Hispanic, and Native Americans. Myeloma is a blood-plasma cancer that attacks the bone marrow. The cause is unknown. There are more than 1,600 new cases of Myeloma diagnosed each month in the United States alone. Although there is no cure, Myeloma is treatable. With new research, better treatment and new medication, lives can be saved.
Since its inception, the AzMN has provided cancer prevention/intervention education to approximately 1500 individuals through small group information sessions, forums and conferences, educational workshops, and community networking events. The AzMN is particularly focused on helping medically under served high-risk populations, and at the request of the Fort Defiance Indian Hospital, has begun providing critically needed cancer awareness programs for the Navajo community.
Kavanagh is a recipient of The Business Journal's (Phoenix) prestigious Health Care Heroes Award. The AzMN was highly praised in a presentation entitled "Basic Facts of Cancer and the New Science," given by Dr. Bodour Salhia, a TGen post-doctorate fellow that is investigating breast cancer and multiple Myeloma for the Integrated Cancer Genomics Division. Salhia assisted Kavanagh in organizing both Fort Defiance conferences. Of the October 2008 conference Dr. Salhia said, "This event provided significant information and resources to the Navajo people suffering with cancer. I am thrilled to be involved in these conferences and believe they will have a huge impact."
For more information about the Arizona Myeloma Network and the upcoming July 2009 conference, please call Barbara Kavanagh at 623-388-6837 or visit www.azmyelomanetwork.org
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