Video: East Bay Mom Advocates for Early Detection, Treatment
2024
RONELLYN JUNIUS: A few weeks after my 38th birthday,
I felt the pain in my left breast,
and it radiated under my arm.
So I called my doctor and made an appointment.
Going into the exam, I was a little nervous
because I had never had a mammogram.
I was just ready to get it done.
I scheduled it on my lunch break, got the biopsy
the next day after the mammogram and ultrasound.
I had triple-positive invasive ductal carcinoma stage 2B.
I was extremely afraid because I didn't know if I
was going to make it or not.
RITA KWAN-FEINBERG: A lot of people
don't think of women who are 38 as possibly having
breast cancer.
But because of the care she received here at Sutter,
we were all in tune of the possibilities
and to make sure that she was taken
care of with the right diagnosis.
NARRATOR: Mammograms are the best way
to catch breast cancer early.
The Carol Ann Read Breast Health Program offers best-in-class 3D
digital mammography for better detection and fewer false
positives.
Our mobile mammography van, funded by donors,
brings state-of-the-art 3D mammography to our community.
We provided over 2,000 mobile mammograms since 2020 to women
across the East Bay, regardless of their ability to pay.
ANA JAUREGUI: Here at La Clínica Monument,
the Sutter van comes once a month.
And it is incredibly helpful for the patients
to have access to their breast health screenings on site.
BENJAMIN RABER: We have a wonderful nurse navigator
program.
They address all those needs to make sure things happen timely
and the patient feels cared for along the way.
ANGELITA VASQUEZ: As a nurse navigator, I help to advocate
so patients can be a part of the treatment decision.
We're the primary point of contact between the patient
and their treatment team.
We help to maintain continuity of care
and provide support and resources.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
RONELLYN JUNIUS: In that year and a half,
my body went through a lot.
Everybody I came in contact with,
all of the nurses, my social worker, everyone was awesome.
I felt like I had a team behind me
as far as my care team and my family.
Yeah, I'm a daddy's girl.
It was days where it got really, really hard and really dark,
but he was there to be that light.
He kept me focused on my faith.
RONELL JUNIUS: And when she came out of the hospital,
she was in a wheelchair, and we had
all these people waiting on her, celebrating her recovery.
Oh, man.
You had to be there to see that.
[CHATTER, SINGING]
WOMAN: Yeah, all right.
Get it, beautiful.
RONELLYN JUNIUS: Early detection saves lives.
It's real.
It's very important to have the services be available to you
locally, near work, near home.
So I am doing amazing.
My oldest graduated from college.
I was able to see her walk the stage.
My youngest is 10.
I'm able to spend time with her.
I'm just able to enjoy life.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
I felt the pain in my left breast,
and it radiated under my arm.
So I called my doctor and made an appointment.
Going into the exam, I was a little nervous
because I had never had a mammogram.
I was just ready to get it done.
I scheduled it on my lunch break, got the biopsy
the next day after the mammogram and ultrasound.
I had triple-positive invasive ductal carcinoma stage 2B.
I was extremely afraid because I didn't know if I
was going to make it or not.
RITA KWAN-FEINBERG: A lot of people
don't think of women who are 38 as possibly having
breast cancer.
But because of the care she received here at Sutter,
we were all in tune of the possibilities
and to make sure that she was taken
care of with the right diagnosis.
NARRATOR: Mammograms are the best way
to catch breast cancer early.
The Carol Ann Read Breast Health Program offers best-in-class 3D
digital mammography for better detection and fewer false
positives.
Our mobile mammography van, funded by donors,
brings state-of-the-art 3D mammography to our community.
We provided over 2,000 mobile mammograms since 2020 to women
across the East Bay, regardless of their ability to pay.
ANA JAUREGUI: Here at La Clínica Monument,
the Sutter van comes once a month.
And it is incredibly helpful for the patients
to have access to their breast health screenings on site.
BENJAMIN RABER: We have a wonderful nurse navigator
program.
They address all those needs to make sure things happen timely
and the patient feels cared for along the way.
ANGELITA VASQUEZ: As a nurse navigator, I help to advocate
so patients can be a part of the treatment decision.
We're the primary point of contact between the patient
and their treatment team.
We help to maintain continuity of care
and provide support and resources.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
RONELLYN JUNIUS: In that year and a half,
my body went through a lot.
Everybody I came in contact with,
all of the nurses, my social worker, everyone was awesome.
I felt like I had a team behind me
as far as my care team and my family.
Yeah, I'm a daddy's girl.
It was days where it got really, really hard and really dark,
but he was there to be that light.
He kept me focused on my faith.
RONELL JUNIUS: And when she came out of the hospital,
she was in a wheelchair, and we had
all these people waiting on her, celebrating her recovery.
Oh, man.
You had to be there to see that.
[CHATTER, SINGING]
WOMAN: Yeah, all right.
Get it, beautiful.
RONELLYN JUNIUS: Early detection saves lives.
It's real.
It's very important to have the services be available to you
locally, near work, near home.
So I am doing amazing.
My oldest graduated from college.
I was able to see her walk the stage.
My youngest is 10.
I'm able to spend time with her.
I'm just able to enjoy life.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
East Bay resident Ronellyn Junius knew something wasn’t quite right — she felt a pain in her left beast. So she made an appointment to see her doctor who recommended she get a mammogram at the Carol Ann Read Breast Health Center. Her subsequent breast cancer diagnosis was a shock to the mother of two who was just 38 at the time, but after treatment at Sutter Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, she’s back to living her life and advocating for mammograms and early detection.
Discover Similar Stories
Choose a service topic below to read more stories like this one.
Cancer Care That Goes Further
Our compassionate oncology teams are here to support you while providing innovative, evidence-based treatment.