Fanwood Woman Spreads Awareness for Mammograms at 40

Fanwood Resident Patty Weinstock was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer in October of 2009.  At 42 years old she would receive yearly mammograms. Her 2008 mammogram detected nothing, that is why she finds this issue to be so important. 

"Yearly mammograms do say lives, it did mine!" she said.

During Patty's recovery from the biopsy, new governmental guidelines recommended women wait until age 50 to get mammograms.

Having been diagnosed at age 42, Weinstock knew she had to take action and get the word out about early detection and how it can save lives.

From this initiative her group, LYLAS for Mammos at 40 was formed. 

At Fanny Wood Day, Weinstock offered pink ribbons for a donation for Susan G. Komen's Race for the Cure.

"My gold is to tie the ribbons throughout downtown and hope that if one woman (or man) sees them and schedules a mammogram, and if it just saves just one life, then I have done my job," Weinstock said.

The Tie a Ribbon campaign is held every October for National Breast Cancer Awareness month. It is designed to spread the message that "Mammograms Save Lives."

She thanked Mayor Mahr and David Blechinger for inviting her to speak at Fanny Wood Day. As well as fellow Fanwood resident and survivor, Terry Hamill, who joined who her on the stage.

On stage, she encouraged everyone to get Mammograms at 40 and spoke about how important this cause is.

At Fanny Wood Day, a lot of people came to Weinstock and made small donations in order to receive a pink ribbon to tie around downtown or around their trees at home.

"It was quite overwhelming and humbling to see the support of strangers willing to help the cause," she said.

Her group, "LYLAS for Mammos at 40" also came out to help tie ribbons in downtown Fanwood.

The group was created when Weinstock got together with friends while she was undergoing chemotherapy and joined the North Jersey Affiliate of Susan G. Komen's Race for the Cure in 2010. LYLAS stands for Love You Like a Sister.

The group will participate in the North Jersey Susan G. Komen’s Race For the Cure, which will be held Sunday May 5, 2013.

If anyone would like to get a ribbon for a small donation or make a donation to Patty Weinstock’s Susan G. Komen’s, "LYLAS for Mammos at 40" team, you can email her at, patty@NJRealtyServices.com.  

For more information about the Foundation, you can visit the website, www.komennorthjersey.org.