[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E687]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING AND RECOGNIZING RHONDA M. SMITH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. FREDERICA S. WILSON

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 14, 2026

  Ms. WILSON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and pay 
tribute to Rhonda M. Smith, a breast cancer survivor and the founder of 
The Breast Cancer Partner, an organization that focuses on breast 
cancer recovery through health and wellness and is located in Miami, 
Florida.
  Ms. Smith was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. In 2010, she 
opened Breast Cancer Partner. Its mission is to empower breast cancer 
survivors to live strong, healthy and balanced lives by providing 
support, information, tools and resources to shepherd them through 
recovery. Breast Cancer Partner strives to show breast cancer survivors 
the paths to an integrated health and wellness lifestyle so that they 
can recover, restore and reenergize themselves after treatment.
  Experts estimate that about one out of every eight women born today 
will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some time during her life. The 
strongest risk factor for breast cancer is age. A woman's risk of 
developing this disease increases as she gets older. However, thanks to 
improvements in cancer treatment and early detection, millions of women 
and thousands of men are surviving breast cancer today. Breast cancer 
is the most common cancer among women in the United States, other than 
skin cancer. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, 
after lung cancer. The disease occurs almost entirely in women, but men 
can get it, too. Today, there are more than 2.9 million breast cancer 
survivors in the United States.
  I am honored to recognize Rhonda M. Smith, a breast cancer survivor 
and founder of Breast Cancer Partner, for her dedication and commitment 
to our community.

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