Sister Study Volunteers
BESSIE ROBINSON
Bessie Robinson has been a volunteer with the Sister Study since 2003. She is a Senior Community Health Nurse at the Pinellas County Health Department Disease Control Division. As an older volunteer, she encourages older women to get involved in the study if they are eligible or to help by spreading the word about the Sister Study.
Sister Study: What does it mean to you to be a Sister Study volunteer?
Bessie: Well, I've been a breast cancer educator for more than 20 years. My mother died of breast cancer at an early age, she was only 49, and I have aunts on both sides of my family dealing with breast cancer. So I got involved in breast cancer education because I'm at high risk, because I'm a nurse and because I know my mother didn't get help earlier because of lack of information. I've been involved with the American Cancer Society, doing minority education, community outreach and working at the health department.
I heard about the Sister Study from "All Nations Community Association" where I do minority health education. Someone from the Sister Study contacted All Nations and I attended a volunteer training and I've been involved ever since. Because of my personal history I wanted to get involved in this unique study about the environmental and genetic risk factors of breast cancer. There's a lot to that.
Sister Study : What words of wisdom do you have for older women about the Sister Study?
Bessie: "Knowledge is Power" is an old African proverb. There are so many myths about what happens when you have breast cancer or any cancer really. There is so much fear involved but if we just educate ourselves and get early detection, there is a lot of power in that.