Pennsylvania State Sen. Kim Ward is a wife, mother, Senate majority leader and breast cancer survivor. During Breast Cancer Awareness month, she has a message for every woman and hopes to serve as an example.”It’s important for women to realize that they shouldn’t go into dark places. They shouldn’t be afraid to get a mammogram,” she said.Ward was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer in December.”I made a decision not to tell folks so that I could do my job. I thought if I put this out there, I don’t know that I’ll be as effective at my job because I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me,” she said.After initially keeping the diagnosis quiet, Ward is embracing her role as an advocate for breast cancer awareness and early testing.”I am so privileged to have this position as majority leader with a great big megaphone. I am honored to be able to use that megaphone to try to reach women, to try to help women,” she said.Ward underwent a lumpectomy and chemotherapy treatments. Further testing showed the cancer could return.”I had a BRCA gene test, and it came back that I have a BRCA2 gene. It definitely would have recurred,” Ward said.She decided to get a double mastectomy, then a hysterectomy. Ward credits her husband and three sons with giving her the support she needed.”They were terrific and very supportive,” she said.Ward is working on legislation to ensure other women get the care they need.”Making sure that there’s access to these kind of tests, to scans and to tests that will help you find things earlier, is very important,” she said.WGAL spoke with Ward and other breast cancer survivors as part of an episode of WGAL 8 In Focus with Susan Shapiro. You can watch that program below.
Pennsylvania State Sen. Kim Ward is a wife, mother, Senate majority leader and breast cancer survivor. During Breast Cancer Awareness month, she has a message for every woman and hopes to serve as an example.
“It’s important for women to realize that they shouldn’t go into dark places. They shouldn’t be afraid to get a mammogram,” she said.
Ward was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer in December.
“I made a decision not to tell folks so that I could do my job. I thought if I put this out there, I don’t know that I’ll be as effective at my job because I didn’t want people to feel sorry for me,” she said.
After initially keeping the diagnosis quiet, Ward is embracing her role as an advocate for breast cancer awareness and early testing.
“I am so privileged to have this position as majority leader with a great big megaphone. I am honored to be able to use that megaphone to try to reach women, to try to help women,” she said.
Ward underwent a lumpectomy and chemotherapy treatments. Further testing showed the cancer could return.
“I had a BRCA gene test, and it came back that I have a BRCA2 gene. It definitely would have recurred,” Ward said.
She decided to get a double mastectomy, then a hysterectomy. Ward credits her husband and three sons with giving her the support she needed.
“They were terrific and very supportive,” she said.
Ward is working on legislation to ensure other women get the care they need.
“Making sure that there’s access to these kind of tests, to scans and to tests that will help you find things earlier, is very important,” she said.
WGAL spoke with Ward and other breast cancer survivors as part of an episode of WGAL 8 In Focus with Susan Shapiro. You can watch that program below.
