[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 122 (Monday, July 27, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E746-E747]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING ANDREA IVORY
______
HON. FREDERICA S. WILSON
of florida
in the house of representatives
Monday, July 27, 2026
Ms. WILSON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and pay
tribute to Andrea Ivory, a breast cancer survivor and the founder of
The Women's Breast Health Initiative (WBHI) in Hialeah, Florida.
Ms. Ivory was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. While she was
fortunate that her breast cancer was detected early and that she had
insurance and access to doctors, she knew that many other women did
not. To better the odds for at-risk women with fewer resources, she
founded the Women's Breast Health Initiative in 2008. WBHI is an
outreach organization dedicated to educating women about the importance
of breast health and providing them with the resources to beat the
disease.
Since it was founded, WBHI has delivered literature to 50,000
households and by use of a mammography van, the organization has
provided free breast cancer screening for thirteen hundred women. For
her contributions to the fight against breast cancer, Ms. Ivory was
named Cable News Network's (CNN) Hero, in 2009. CNN ``Heroes'' is a
tribute to ordinary people changing the world.
Experts estimate that about one out of every eight women born today
will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some time during her
[[Page E747]]
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 the work Ms. Ivory is doing and 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 Andrea Ivory, a breast cancer survivor and
founder of The Women's Breast Health Initiative, for her dedication and
commitment to our community.
____________________