By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
Christmas came early for the Avita Health Foundation and it came wearing ugly Christmas sweaters.
The Avita Health Foundation held its annual Divas n’ Darlings event Thursday evening, this time benefitting the Avita Cares for Women Breast Health program. The theme was an Ugly Sweater Christmas Party and featured a performance by the Mayhem and Mystery interactive theatre group.
“Every single year, the proceeds benefit some sort of women’s health initiative. This year we have a brand new Nurse Navigator,” explained Kelby King, Avita’s Marketing and Community Relations Director.
A Nurse Navigator helps women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer traverse the overwhelming world of breast cancer, from explaining medical terminology to discussing screening and treatment options to providing other resources necessary after a cancer diagnosis.
“This is a professional that can help guide that woman throughout treatment options, diagnoses, everything. It’s like a personal mentor, basically,” King said. “We have an entire program for that and this is what that is going to benefit.”
Avita Health System retained Melody Phillips, RN, BSN, as its Nurse Navigator. Phillips, a former emergency nurse and a trained advocate for women, received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Ohio University. She has also had training as a sexual assault nurse examiner and was a member of the Domestic Violence Task Force. Phillips is also a breast cancer survivor.
King said the events in Galion and Bucyrus – held in the fall and spring, respectively – have been extraordinary fundraisers for Avita programs.
“It’s delicious food, delicious atmosphere. They know that it’s benefitting them in the future as well,” King said of the women in attendance.
The inaugural Divas ‘n Darlings event helped to start the Avita Women’s Health Fund in 2011. Since then proceeds have helped purchase a Dexa scan system, a maternity unit infant security system, and renovation of the maternity unit. This year, the fundraiser will help to provide educational materials for newly diagnosed patients and additional literature to educate women on the importance of breast health. The proceeds will also provide medical record binders, tote bags, and soft mammography pads for women who have undergone breast cancer treatment.