Worship in Pink emphasizes prevention

AUSTIN (KXAN) - St. James Missionary Baptist Church in East Austin hosted a push on Sunday for Breast Cancer Awareness month, using a program called Worship in Pink.

LaTanya Tatum has been a member of St. James Baptist Church for 12 years.  But on Sunday, as a part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, she told her story.  She was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 29.

"When I was diagnosed back in 2006, I was here at St. James," Tatum said. "And, it just feels good to have my congregation behind me."

Early diagnosis gives women a 99 percent chance for survival. Now Tatum is out to spread the word.  Freda Mills was diagnosed nine years ago, and seconds that message. Breast cancer has hit African-American women particularly hard.

"I just think that we need to be more aware of how we can be preventive," Tatum said. "How we can do our breast exams, check ourselves, know your body?"

The Susan G. Komen Foundation supports breast exams for under-insured and uninsured people.  Worship in Pink is the churches way of uniting for the cause.

"Our choir's actually even going to be in pink today, supporting breast cancer awareness as we gear up for the Susan G. Komen Walk," said cancer survivor Freda Mills.

Senior pastor Billy McClendon, focused his sermon on hope, and using faith and family to pull through tough times. "In the darkest hour of chemo, and losing their hair, their family, or their employment, or their homes, they're never alone," McClendon said.

The Komen Foundation's biggest fund-raiser, Race for the Cure , will be on Nov. 4 in Austin.