Most women expect birthday cards from friends and family, but women who hit 40 and live in Wayne County will start getting cards from a man most of them don't know personally -- Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano.
Ficano's birthday message will remind the women to get a mammogram.
"The rate of breast cancer in Wayne County is higher than the national rate," he said Thursday. "But we're confident that this initiative will give women some tools to take control of their own health."
Wayne County has a breast cancer mortality rate of 29.7 per 100,000 residents, compared with the national rate of 26.
The card gives information about mammograms, breast self-exams and clinical breast exams, and it has numbers to call for information about breast cancer.
For Katrina Studvent, 31, of Detroit, the card wouldn't have helped. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at 30, had a double mastectomy and had chemotherapy and radiation.
"One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and you're looking at that one woman," she said Thursday. "This initiative is very important because it reaches a part of the community that we're all a part of. We need to let other women know about these programs."
Wayne County combed through voter registration records to compile the list of card recipients. Ficano estimated 1,400 birthday cards will be mailed each month. The initiative will cost $5,000 a year.
By KATHLEEN GRAY | FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Contact KATHLEEN GRAY at 313-223-4407 or gray@freepress.com
Event Photos (Click to enlarge)
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Most women expect birthday cards from friends and family, but women who hit 40 and live in Wayne County will start getting cards from a man most of them don't know personally -- Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano.
Today, Executive Robert Ficano in partnership with Detroit Regional Chamber, has launched a new website:
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