Wasserman Schultz gets Ford award for fight against cancer

Inspiration from former first lady leads to early detection

WASHINGTON - Philanthropists and glitterati will roll out the pink carpet for Debbie Wasserman Schultz at the Kennedy Center Thursday night to honor her personal struggle and legislative work to overcome breast cancer.

The South Florida congresswoman, who underwent seven major surgeries six years ago to rid herself of cancer, said she felt a rush of emotions about receiving the Betty Ford Lifetime Achievement Award of Distinction from the Susan G. Komen breast-cancer foundation.

As a young girl, Wasserman Schultz, now 47, had been inspired by the former first lady's trailblazing efforts to make the public more aware of the need for early detection and treatment.

'I remember when Betty Ford shared publicly that she had breast cancer,' said Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston. 'She was the one who shined a light on breast cancer and brought it out of the shadows and made it OK to talk about - took away the taboo. That's my earliest memory of even being aware of breast cancer as something you have to watch for.

'To be acknowledged with a lifetime achievement award that had been given to her and named after her, it's really breathtaking.'

The honor comes in part because of the congresswoman's sponsorship of the EARLY Act, expected to come before Congress for a five-year renewal. It authorizes spending for cancer research, support groups and public education campaigns targeted at young women.

A task force created by the act meets regularly to find ways to get the message of early detection to young women. Initiatives include encouraging scriptwriters to incorporate warnings into the story lines of TV shows, a practice exemplified by episodes of NBC's 'Parenthood.'

Joan Lunden, former co-host of ABC's 'Good Morning America' and a breast cancer survivor, will host the award program at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Taking part will be Susan Ford Bales, daughter of Betty Ford; Victoria Reggie Kennedy, widow of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy; Nancy Brinker, founder of the Susan G. Komen research foundation; and actress Julia Murney.

Also honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award will be David Rubenstein of the Carlyle Group, who has donated millions of dollars to research on cancer and other diseases.

Proceeds from tickets ranging from $200 to $500 and from sponsorships of up to $100,000 will be donated to Washington-area research and support groups.

Wasserman Schultz became a national leader on breast-cancer issues following her diagnosis at age 41 - soon after sailing through her first mammogram with no sign of trouble. She said she never missed a day of work while scheduling surgeries during breaks in her congressional duties.

'I did a self-exam and found a lump,' she recalled this week. 'Had I waited, had I just blown it off, had I not done the self-exam, I wouldn't have had any diagnosis until my next mammogram. I caught it at stage 1A. It turned out to be a pretty aggressive form of breast cancer.

'A year later, who knows what stage it would have been.'

wgibson@tribune.com or 202-824-8256