NYBRA Plastic Surgery and Breast Cancer Survivors Reunite at Making Strides Walk

Making Strides Long Island: A 32-Year Tradition

• 🗓️ The Making Strides walk on Long Island is celebrating its 32nd year, a significant event for raising funds and awareness.
• 🤝 NYBRA Plastic Surgery is a flagship sponsor, bringing together at least a thousand patients, their friends, and families for the event each year.

Patient Experiences and Support

• ❤️ Patients describe the event as a source of hope, inspiration, and happiness, fostering a family-like atmosphere.
• 🤝 It serves as a crucial reunion for patients and staff, allowing them to reconnect with each other and with doctors.
• 💡 The holistic patient empowerment program facilitates these connections, creating a tremendous opportunity for patients to reconnect.

A Quarter Century of Dedication

• 🏆 Dr. Randall Feingold and NYBRA Plastic Surgery have participated in the walk for 25 years, starting in 2000.
• 🌟 Loretta, a 25-year breast cancer survivor, has attended the walk every year since 2000 with her family and NYBRA.
• 💪 Loretta emphasizes the support she received from the community and encourages others to get annual mammograms.

Advances in Breast Reconstruction

• 🎗️ Dr. Feingold highlights that breast reconstruction is essential for women's sense of self and femininity.
• 📈 Techniques have greatly improved over the years, offering more options than in the past.
• ⚖️ Insurance coverage for reconstruction is now mandated by law, making access easier than decades ago.

Fundraising and Vigilance

• 💰 Over 25 years, NYBRA Plastic Surgery's team has raised close to $2 million for the American Cancer Society.
• 🩺 The importance of vigilance and screenings, such as mammograms, is stressed as life-saving, especially for those at high risk.
• 🧬 Genetic testing also played a role in saving a life from ovarian cancer, underscoring the value of proactive health measures.