October 8, 2022 | The Ray Hotel, Delray Beach Florida
Proceeds to Benefit
How to Breast Cancer Celebrates the Patient Experience and Inspiring Medical Leadership at Annual Fundraising Gala
Amelia O’Relly, founder of how to Breast cancer, celebrated the patient experience during an elegant gala event filled with intense positive energy, purpose, optimism, and hope. Taking place at the trendy The Ray Hotel in Delray Beach, Florida, the lavish gala also honored Zeina Nahleh, MD, Department Chair, Hematology-Oncology, The Cleveland Clinic, Florida with the Patient Experience Medal of Excellence. Charity partner, Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) was the philanthropic recipient for the night.
The enthusiastic crowd represented guests from across the United States who came to support How to Breast Cancer, the definitive breast cancer guide with easy-to-use tools and practices for successfully navigating a breast cancer journey, and its mission to shine a light on ways to enrich the patient experience.
Addressing the audience, Amelia inspired guests with her vision for change and a better way forward for breast cancer patients, especially those who are metastatic. “We want to bring better knowledge to patients and create greater awareness in the medical community for more supportive methods to managing the journey. It is essential that the future of breast cancer treatment, focus on customization and more tailoring of the patient’s treatment journey so that they can live their best lives while managing the disease.” The event tonight supports LBBC and their incredible 30+ years of providing critical resources for breast cancer patients and driving funding for metastatic breast cancer research. We support LBBC in all they are doing to make an impact in this space. Metastatic breast cancer is an immensely underfunded space. Less than 5% of the total national research dollars for breast cancer go towards metastatic, even though it is estimated that 30% of patients diagnosed with early-stage will become metastatic. We must change this now. I also want to applaud Dr. Zeina Nahleh and recognize her exemplary work with the inaugural Patient Experience Medal of Excellence. Dr. Nahleh has set the standard for what excellence looks like for future recipients of this prestigious award.”
Dr. Nahleh shared words about her passion and devotion to improving the patient experience and the importance of hope. “Patients that are positive and have hope do better with their treatment. I am deeply honored to be here tonight with Amelia and in support of her truly impressive work.”
The keynote speaker was Myra Camino, a representative for LBBC South Florida and founder of Green Chemo Ninjas, who gave a heart-felt and moving speech about her own patient experience and the importance of advocating. Explaining what it was like to be diagnosed with breast cancer six years ago when her children were small, she said, “I wish that I knew more about advocating for myself. Women need to talk to other women and to find out what are the procedures and things that they have tried and what's worked and what has not worked for them so that you have options.”
The already jubilant mood of the room continued to build as the program included a stunning performance by Flamenco Dancers in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month and a closing performance by singer/songwriter Rena Jones of her newly released single.
Sponsors of the gala pledging financial support include Daiichi Sankyo as Diamond Sponsor; The Cleveland Clinic FL, Citrix, and BrandSafway, as Platinum Sponsors; and Joseph’s Classic Market as Goodwill Sponsor. Sponsors pledging products and services for the gala include Boca Magazine, Spodak Dental, PURLife Fitness, Michael Honeblue, From Roehm with Love, and Traveling Vineyard.
