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Hernando Today

Celebration of Life open to all breast cancer survivors

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By TONY HOLT

Hernando Today

Published: October 23, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - Oak Hill Hospital isn't discriminating any longer.

Thursday's annual Celebration of Life for breast cancer survivors is not just open to the hospital's patients. All survivors are invited.

The celebration will run from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. and will be a prelude to the open house of the new Women's Imaging Center.

"Oh, it's going to be bigger than ever," said Deborah Harris, a patient advocate and lead mammogram technologist. "I'm excited to have it open to the public ... It's just another way to educate people and put more information out there."

The imaging center opened several months ago and up until Oct. 1 was the only exclusive digital mammogram imaging center in the area, Harris said.

The open house will run from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

The facility gives the patient the most "minimally invasive" biopsies and allows doctors to administer more treatment and testing in a single visit, she said.

The Celebration of Life has been held annually for more than 15 years.

"Originally, it was set up to be for the Oak Hill Hospital breast cancer patients," Harris said. "More started coming in and this year, we just decided to open it up."

In years past, the hospital prepared for more than 100 people. This year, Harris said it's possible to see more than 1,000 people celebrating their survival and touring the new facility.

"If you haven't had it, chances are your mother, sister or next-door neighbor has," she said. "It affects a lot of people."

Oak Hill is located at 11375 Cortez Blvd. and the Celebration of Life will take place inside the cafeteria classroom, entrance A.

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

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