Patricia Washburn
Male Breast Cancer Coalition, Patient Advocate
Omaha, Nebraska, USA
I served as a Certified Nursing Assistant for several years while living in Iowa. I also served as the City Clerk for a small community in Iowa for 13.5 years where I was in charge of budgeting, billing, city website, city newsletters, etc.
My mother died with Alzheimer’s, my father died with Lung Cancer, one of my sisters died with Fallopian Tube Cancer, my step-daughter fought through breast cancer in 2014, but my most recent and most difficult family member to lose was my husband. He was diagnosed with male breast cancer in December of 2016 and died just five months later. I have made it my mission to do whatever I can to inform men and women that men CAN and DO get breast cancer.
I love spending time with our 8 children, 22 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren, I love to travel, and I enjoy quilting and have baked and decorated cakes over 35 years.
Mission statement:
It is very obvious that breast cancer in men is not discussed as openly as it should be. I do not hesitate to walk up to strangers and share my experience with them. If I can save just one man, and his family, from the heartache we went through a year ago, it will be worth it! My husband was in education for 41 years, but he had never read or heard that men could get breast cancer. This needs to change! We need to inform people.
Email: Pwashburn8@icloud.com
Region(s): United States of America, Nebraska, etc.