42nd Anniversary Spring Gala

Growing Stronger Together

Growing Stronger Together

B etty R odríguez

President Betty’s Breast Cancer Foundation

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O n October 22nd, 1960, I was named Betty Rodriguez. I was born in Bogota, the capital of Colombia. After finishing high school, I studied and became a pastry chef, with an emphasis on food conservation processes. In 1983, I met my better half, Samuel D. Cardenas. I also have three children and five grandsons. In 1995, I arrived in the US with nothing but a dream of achieving a better life for my kids. For Instance, seeing them go to college was my main goal; and they did so. During 2007, I received unforeseeable news: I was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. I felt so frightened and scared about my family’s future. For a two years lapse, I underwent cancer treatment. Luckily, I survived; at the great expense, to see my breast being mutilated. The aftermath of such terrible illness created a sense of awareness in me; during treatment, I heard Latin women were impacted the most by this illness. For example, I noticed that Latin women felt terrified to get a mammogram, wrongly assuming they already have cancer. I knew I must help to awake a sense of awareness in our community. Hence, I volunteered for such a purpose through Adelphi University. In 2010, I started taking classes on how to become a volunteer and learn the dynamics of being one. Subsequently, the volunteering experience led me to become involved in community leadership. In 2016, I achieved a Parents Leadership Initiative Mention (PLI) of Long Island. At the same time, I decided to encourage the community through a mammogram transportable vehicle also known as a scan van. This awareness van has been expanding throughout New York City metro area, as well as Nassau, and Suffolk County. Consequently, due to the unknown migratory status of Latin communities in such mentioned areas; I realized that community has a bigger sense of trust in their local diplomatic missions. Consulates became a bridge to help women be seen. To illustrate this, the Colombian Consulate program at the New York City mission called Colombia Nos Une enables women to get their mammograms on the embassy’s grounds. Back in 2017, my further pursuit to help the community included me becoming a volunteer at the NYU Langone Hospital, in the Oncology area. A good example of my volunteering duties, and with the help of modern technologies, are the non-official translation services that I contribute to the multicultural patients across the hospital. As COVID-19 impacted the world onwards and due to the mobility restrictions I have embarked on a new project, my book. Its title is “¿Por qué a mí? Siempre hay una esperanza” or Why me? There is always hope. My memoir describes the struggle with illness, the fear of uncertainty and death. Nonetheless, it reminds readers to always have faith in themselves.

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