Monday, September 16, 2013
Fairfield, CT - The tenth annual Rose of Hope Tennis Tournament netted more than $15,000 for the Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center’s community outreach programs. More than 40 women took part in the Tournament Sept. 10 at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield. Players came from Easton, Fairfield, Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, Westport and Wilton.
People’s United Bank was the lead corporate sponsor of the event. The bank, founded in 1842, is a premier, community-based, regional bank in the Northeast offering commercial and retail banking, as well as wealth management services through a network of more than 400 retail locations in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Penske Automotive Group was the event vehicle sponsor.
The keynote speaker at the luncheon following the tournament, Jessica Tillson, a cancer survivor, has served with the Bridgeport Police Department for 17 years. Tillson, who was treated at the Breast Care Center, spoke about her cancer journey and her work with the support staff at the Breast Care Center.
“I see my navigator Rachel Abraham, who is a licensed clinical social worker and to whom I can talk about what I’m feeling,” Tillson said. “Dr. Mindy Hersh, a psychologist, has also been fabulous. They’ve helped me look inside myself. So much is attitude. If I gave up, there’s nothing they could do for me. As scary as it sometimes is, I don’t ever give up hope.”
Tillson also spoke about her team at the Breast Care Center.
“I’m so grateful I found the Norma Pfriem Breast Care Center,” she said. “Everyone there works so hard. I know they must see a lot of patients, but they treat each of us like we are special. They know me and know about my life. They keep it personal. They’re all working together to help me live well. Thanks to them, I’ve exceeded expectations! They let me know that even with a serious diagnosis, you can still have a great life. You might have Stage 1 cancer and do everything and be done with it, or you might have Stage 4, but you can live with it. They help you to live with it and thrive. They’re awesome because they’ve kept me here for my daughter. And I wasn’t going to take anything less. I need to be here for my daughter.”
The event was co-chaired by Beth Davis and Donna Craft of the Breast Care Center’s Advisory Board. Andy Gleeman, a longtime Breast Care Center friend, served as master of ceremonies.
Part of Bridgeport Hospital and the Yale New Haven Health System, the Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center, a member of the prestigious National Consortium of Breast Care Centers, has served more than 20,000 women and their families since it was established in 1999. One of only 200 sites accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), the Center provides a wide range of diagnostic care and treatment at its Bridgeport Hospital and Fairfield locations, including medical oncology, surgical and chemotherapy services, plastic surgery, mammography and radiation therapy, and genetic risk assessment as well as opportunities to participate in clinical trials. The Breast Care Center office at 111 Beach Road in Fairfield also provides comprehensive women’s wellness services, including nutrition counseling, massage and Reiki therapy, wig and prosthesis fitting, counseling, yoga, Pilates, naturopathic medicine, and other patient support activities. The Center has a satellite office on Park Avenue in Trumbull.
For more information, call 203.255.5300 or visit online.
Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit 501-bed acute care hospital with two campuses (plus 42 beds licensed to Yale New Haven Children's Hospital). Its Bridgeport and Milford Campuses serve patients from across the region. The hospital admits more than 23,000 patients and provides nearly 350,000 outpatient treatments annually. The Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital is the only burn center in the state and one of only 64 verified burn centers in the United States. Bridgeport Hospital is committed to providing safe, compassionate and cost efficient care to its patients and the community. www.bridgeporthospital.org
