LSU Health New Orleans Sponsors Sista Strut 2018

Breast cancer survivors, their families and friends, along with those committed to making a difference in a community struck hard by this disease, partied with a purpose Saturday morning in Woldenberg Park.

Former State Senator Diana Bajoie, now Director of Community Relations and a breast cancer survivor herself, along with Dr. Denise Johnson, Adjunct Professor at LSU Health New Orleans, organized the Health Sciences Center’s participation in 2018 Sista Strut New Orleans. They brought materials from LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health’s Louisisana Breast and Cervical Health program to teach about early detection, including models of breast tissue with lumps that women can feel. They answered questions about breast cancer, as well as services, including free mammograms to qualified low-income women.

Louisiana has the 33rd highest incidence and second highest death rate of breast cancer in the U.S., and African-American women in Louisiana have a significantly higher breast cancer death rate than the national average.

The 3k Sista Strut walk and event help raise money and awareness about breast cancer and specifically how it affects the African-American community.