The Editor,

Re: "Breast cancer 'never sleeps,' mayor warns," the Now, Oct. 9.

My heart goes out to Mayor Lois Jackson's daughters and their families. I fully support mammograms, but even more important is breast self-exams. I had a mammogram in February that was clear. In the middle of the summer I found a small lump during a self-exam. I am very athletic, eat well and have no history of breast cancer in my family. Three weeks later competing in Ironman Canada triathlon, I was diagnosed with breast cancer and a week ago had a partial mastectomy. If I hadn't done a self-exam, those cancer cells would have had lots of time to continue to grow before my next mammogram found it. So please, all those women out there, learn how to do breast self-exams and do them regularly. Hopefully, I caught mine in time.

Donna Bartel, Delta