Educator Highlight: Emmy Pastillero
Emmy Pastillero, has been a Know Your Lemons educator since September of last year. Thanks to our partnership with Hologic she took the course in becoming a certified breast health educator to teach her family and friends about early detection of breast cancer. In her own words she recounts why she wanted to take the Know Your Lemons breast health education course:
“Belgium is where I call home, my roots are in the Philippines.
Despite having access to good health services, Belgians have the highest cumulative risk of getting breast cancer. I know no one of my family back in the Philippines who have had a mammogram. As a trainer by profession, currently working in a women’s health focused company, marketing breast cancer interventional solutions, Know Your Lemons provides a platform for me to further contribute by educating Belgian and Filipino countrywomen of all ages on self exams that could lead to early detection - hence, higher survival rates.
I will have my mom in mind at every session. She had a mastectomy as well as ovarian cancer.”
Since becoming a certified Lemonista, Emmy takes every opportunity to talk to people about Know Your Lemons. Here are some of her experiences…
At the furniture shop: "I gave an ultra-quick elevator speech about the 12 signs to three young saleslady while checking out at a furniture shop this weekend. The past week, every time I hand out a KYL card, at least one person reacts that she knows someone in her family who has been diagnosed with breast cancer."
At the gym: "As I come across new members at the gym, (much to my instructor's irritation 🤭) I take the chance to hand out KYL cards to them and explain about the importance of self-exams. It's a good excuse to take a mini break hehehe."
At the garden center: "I bumped into a co-volunteer of the Think Pink's Race for the Cure race in Antwerp this weekend and we had a conversation on breast health."
At a restaurant: "KYL & Hologic partnership - We’ve set up a lemonade stand at the entrance of the restaurant next door, reaching out to the corporate community. We gave away around 70 postcards and brochures!"
At the gym part 2: "My sparring partner - who told me her mom has breast cancer and that she is thinking about getting tested. I hope to have convinced her not to wait any longer and at least do her self-exams. She downloaded the app!"
Thanks to ongoing conversations about how we can tackle late diagnosis of breast cancer together, we were able to partner with Hologic and find wonderful volunteer educators like Emmy. Check out our partnerships page to see how we are accomplishing our mission to spread early detection of breast cancer education around the world.
