Tamira Hite hopes the ribbon can make a difference for women just like herself.
Hite was diagnosed with breast cancer and leukemia on Valentine’s Day 2014. She is in remission for both cancers now, but she can still tear up when talking about the lumpectomy she received for breast cancer, as well as the radiation.
Hite, who is the executive assistant to the president for Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center, was one of about a dozen people who gathered at Legacy Salmon Creek on Thursday afternoon to paint a pink ribbon on a wall in an operating room that is frequently used for breast cancer surgeries.
“This is really important, because when you’re getting wheeled into surgery, you’re like, ‘What’s going to happen to me?’ ” Hite said. “And then all of the sudden, they’re going to put you on the table, and they’re going to swarm you. … (The ribbon) gives the patient hope.”
The ribbon was painted on Brave Day, a day designated to educate breast cancer patients about their rights and choices when it comes to prevention, treatment and recovery from breast cancer, according to local breast cancer advocacy organization Pink Lemonade Project’s website.
Hite said she just learned about Brave Day last year. She said it’s important that women know the choices they have for funding and procedures.
“It gives women a voice,” Hite said.
As a breast surgical oncologist for Legacy Salmon Creek, Dr. Cory Donovan operates in the room frequently. Donovan said the pink ribbon is a symbol of support and should let patients know they are loved and cared for right before surgery. Patients can also take pictures next to the ribbon if they want.
“It embraces the idea the we love and care for our patients when they’re going through this difficult time,” Donovan said.
Lynn Miller helped paint the ribbon. Her daughter-in-law Jaime Miller, a Vancouver resident, died from complications from triple-negative breast cancer at age 42 last year.
PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Foundation announced the creation of “Jaime’s Fund,” a $1 million endowment fund to assist economically vulnerable patients earlier this year, and there was a bill introduced in Jaime Miller’s honor this year, too. The bill calls for health plans to provide benefits for contralateral prophylactic mastectomies to patients, who are determined by their medical provider to be at high risk of developing breast cancer in their healthy breast.
Lynn Miller said she appreciates the things that keep Jaime Miller’s memory alive. Lynn Miller has a painting background, and painted the word “hope” in black ink onto the pink ribbon Thursday.
“Every breast cancer patient will see that ribbon with the word ‘hope’ on it,” Lynn Miller said. “Hopefully that’s the last thing they see before they go to sleep. As long as you have hope, you have everything. When there is no more hope, that’s it.”
Lynn Miller wore her “Team Jaime” sweatshirt into the hospital Thursday. She said getting to paint the ribbon, with the help of others, meant a lot to her.
“Each time I do something like this, it keeps me close to Jaime,” she said.
