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    "label": "1975/11/07 - American Cancer Society Dinner, New York City",
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    "id": "1069074",
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    "title": "1975/11/07 - American Cancer Society Dinner, New York City",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1069074",
    "collections": [
        "Frances K. Pullen Files",
        "Frances Pullen's Working Files"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "President (1974-1977 : Ford). Office of the First Lady. 1974-1977",
        "Cancer"
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    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box 1, folder \"1975/11/07 - American Cancer Society\nDinner, New York City\" of the Frances K. Pullen Papers at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential\nLibrary.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nScanned from Box 1 of the Frances K. Pullen Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nNovember 5, 1975\nMRS. FORD'S REMARKS TO THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY,\nFRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1975\nI'm very glad to be here tonight, and that's not a line borrowed\nfrom a campaign speech.\nI feel absolutely marvelous. I just had my annual checkup and\nall my tests are completely clear. There is no sign whatsoever of a\ncancerous reoccurrence at this point. I'm convinced that I am completely\ncured.\nThanks to that checkup last September, good doctors, a loving\nsupporting husband and understanding children -- I can truly say this\npast year as been one of the richest and happiest of my life.\nWhen I went into the operating room that morning I was pretty\nsure it was going to turn out to be a malignancy and that my breast\nwould have to be removed. But once the operation was over, I was\nreally very relieved. I felt the doctors had gotten the cancer at such\nan early stage that I was very lucky.\n- 2 -\nThe most difficult moments were trying to pull my family through\nmy cancer operation. I really had to pull them through, and to try to\nmake them happy because they were so sad and upset.\nThe malignancy was something my husband never expected, and\nhe couldn't believe it was happening to me. The whole family felt that way.\nI think their surprise was a very natural reaction, because\none day I appeared to be fine and the next day I was in the hospital\nfor a masectomy. It made me realize how many women in the country\ncould be in the same situation.\nThat realization made me decide to discuss my breast cancer\noperation openly, because I thought of all the lives in jeopardy. My\nexperience and frank discussion of breast cancer did prompt many women\nto learn about self-examination, regular checkups and such detection\ntechniques as mammography.\nSTATED\n- 3 -\nI certainly don't mean to minimize the emotional impact of the\noperation for me and my family. But knowing I helped educate other\nwomen to the dangers of breast cancer did encourage me in some\ndark moments.\nToo many women are so afraid of breast cancer they endanger\ntheir lives. These fears of being scarred and of being \"less\" of a\nwoman are very real, and it's very important to talk about the emotional\nside effects honestly.\nIt was easier for me to accept the operation, because I had been\nmarried for 26 years and we had our four children. There was no\nproblem of lack of love, affection and attention.\nBut some women don't have these same emotional resources,\nand it's very necessary to deal realistically with the fears about breast\ncancer.\nIt isn't vanity to worry about disfigurement. It is an honest concern.\nI started wearing low-cut dresses as soon as the scar healed, and my\n- 4 -\nworries about my appearance are now just the normal ones of staying\nslim and keeping my hair fixed. When I asked myself whether I would\nrather lose a right arm or a breast? I'd rather have lost a breast.\nWhat is important is life--and good health.\nLast year I had that critical checkup at the insistence of a friend, and\nI've tried to repay that act of friendship by talking about how important\nregular checkups are for early detection of breast cancer and, of course,\nother types of cancer.\nalso\nBut cancer is not only a disease that takes many forms. It often\nCancer also\nF\nproduces the disease of ear -- and much of that fear comes from ignorance\nabout the progress already made and ignorance of the need for preventive\nmedicine for men and women alida.\nCancer wherever it strikes the body, also strikes the spirit,\nand the best doctors in the world can't cure the spirit, only love and\nunderstanding can.\n-5-\nAll of us can give love and support to our friends who have\ncancer. We can open our hearts and our minds to dealing with the fears\nhave,\nthat cripple of wz the spirit. that not only of the victors tnt unfortunately\nso many have of this disease\nThere are people in this audience working to find cures for\ncancer, and many of you help fund these research efforts. I thank\nyou personally for your contributions to the detection and the eradication\nof this disease.\nThe cure rates and the numbers in so many different types\nof cancer are encouraging. But the most important number of all is one--\nthat one person you may know who needs your under standing when faced\nwith this disease.\nI believe we are all here to help each other and that our lives\nhave patterns and purposes. My illness turned out to have a very special\npurpose -- helping save other lives, and I'm grateful that it did.\n###\nPullen / 2nd\nNovember 5, 1975\nMrs. Ford American Cancer Society, November 7, 1975\nI'm very ga glad ****** and thankful to be here tonight, and that is\nnot a line bornowed from a campaign speech.\nI feel absolutely marvelous. I just had my\nannual checkup and all my tests are completely clear. There\nis no sign whatsoever of a cancerous reoccurrence\nat this point. I'm convinced that I am completely cured.\nThanks to that very important checkup last September,\ngood doctors, a loving supporting husband and understanding children --\nI can truly say this past year as been one of the richest and\nhappiest of my life.\nWhen I went into the operating room that morning I was\npretty sure it was going to turn out to be a malignancy and that\nmy breast would have to be removed. But once the operation was\nover, I was really very relieved. I felt the doctors had gotten\nvery lucry.\nthe cancer at such an SK early statge stage that I was one of the\nfortunate ones.\nThe most difficult moments were trying to pull my family\nthrough my cancer operation. I really had to pull them through,\nand to try to make them happy\nbecause they were so sad and X upset.\nKxwxxxxenxeth The malignancy was something my husband\nnever expected, and he couldn't believe it was happening to me.\nThe whole family felt that way.\nThe\n2\nI think their surprise was a very natural reaction, because\none day I appeared to be fine and the next day I was\nin the hospital for хиххрих a masectomy. It made me realize how\nmany women in the country could be in the same situation.\nThat really made me decide to discuss my breast cancer\noperation openly, because I thought of all the lives in jeopardy.\nxkkixx My experience and\nthe frank discussion of breast cancer did prompt many women\nto learn exixlxx the value of self-examination,\nregular HXXWX checkups and such new detection techniques as\nmammography.\nI certainly don't mean to minimize the emotional impact\nof the operation for me and my family. But knowing I helped\neducate other women to the dangers of break breast cancer\ndid encourage me in some dark moments.\nToo many women are so afraid of breast cancer they endanger\ntheir lives. kxxxamxxxxxix These fears of being scarred and\nof being \"less\" of a woman are very real, and it's very important\nto talk about the emotional side effects openly and honestly.\nIt was easier for me to accept the spexatx operation, because I\nhad been married for 26 years and we had our four children. There\nwas no problem of lack of love, affection and attention. But some women\ndon't have these same emotional resources, and k*hk it's so\nimportant\nrecognize that fear can\nbe as dangerous as & cancer.\n3\nBut some women don't have these same emotional resources,\nand it's very important necessary to rexumms\nxxxxxxxxxxx the xfexxxxxxx *****diog bx xxxx xbxy\nrealistically\n****\ndeal honestly with XXXXX the fears about\nbreast cancer.\nIt isn't vanity to worry about disfigurement. It is an\nhonest concern. I started wearing low-cut dresses as soon as\nworries\nthe scar healed. and my concerns about my appearance are now\njust the ones all of us have of staying slim and keeping my her\nhair fixed. when vl asked myself whether I would rather use\na right arm or a heast ? have wsh alread.\nWhat I've tried to say when I discussed this operation is\n1\nwhat is important tome is life and good health B\nthat what is really important is good health Our health is something\nwe have to ganxdx guard with regular checkups and attention to\nthe way we live.\nLast year I had that critical checkup at the insistence of a\nfriend, and I've tried to repay that act of friendship by talking about\nulgular checkup are for\nof\nhow MK important early denk detection is for breast cancer and, of course,\nother form types of cancer.\nBut cancer is not only a disease that takes many forms.\nIt often produces the disease of fear--and much of\nthat fear comes from ignorance about the progress already made\nand ignorance of the need for preventive medicine.\nCancer wherever it strikes the body, also strikes the spirit,\nand the best doctors in the world can't cure the spirit, like love can.\nonly and understanding\n4\nAll of us can give love and support to our friends who have\ncancer. We can open our hearts tochelping\nand our minds to dealing helping deal with the fear}that\ncripple the spirit.\nThere are people in this audience working to find cures for\ncancer, and many of you help ar working to fund these efforts.\nusearch\nI\nthank you personally for your contributions to the detection and\nthe eradication of this disease.\nThe cure rates and the numbers in so many different types\nof cancer are encouraging. But the most important number of all\nis one-that one person you may know who needs your understanding\nwhen faced with this disease.\nI believe WATEX we are all here to help each other and that our\nlives have patterns and purposes. My illness turned out to have a\nXXXXXXX very special purpose--helping save other lives, and I'm\ngrateful that idelixx it did.\n_30-\n(Pullen)\nNovember 3, 1975\nMRS. FORD, AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, NOVEMBER 7, 1975\nin excellent health (\nI'm very glad to be here tonight, and that's not just a line I\nhow Iffeel\nborrowed from one of my husband's political speeches. Thanks to a\njust had\ngood checking\nregular medical checkup, good doctors, a loving supporting husband\nand under standing children I can truly say this past year has been\none of the richest and happiest of my life.\nunpedictablity\nI'm pleased that the removal of my right breast because of a\nmalignancy produced an open discussion of the problem. It truly made\nmy own painful experience easier to bear to know how many women were\nlearn how theyam themselves for breast cancer\nprompted to get medical treatment.\nand to sur\nI certainly don't mean to minimize the emotional impact of the\noperation for me and my family, but knowing I helped educate other\nwomen to the dangers of breast cancer sustained me through a difficult\nperiod. My husband of children's reaction\nGiving\n-2-\nSo many women are afraid of breast cancer to the point of\nendangering their lives that it is particularly important for sensible,\nstraight forward discussions.\nCancer is not only a disease that takes many forms. It can also\nproduce the disease of fear. And much of the fear comes from ignorance--\nignorance about the progress already made and ignorance of the importance\nof preventive medicine.\nI've always been a believer in the importance of regular checkups,\nand I hope to convert those of you who are too casual about your own health.\nAs a mother, I've supervised my children's health, but sometimes mothers\nand fathers who always get their children checked regularly neglect\nthemselves.\nYou'll forgive me for sounding just a little preachy on this subject,\nbut I do have some first-hand experience.\n-3-\nThe best doctors in the world can't cure the spirit like love can,\nand all of us can give love and support to our friends who have cancer.\nI could not have accepted a masectomy as well without a strong\nmarriage and a husband's love. Cancer wherever it strikes in the body,\nalso strikes the spirit. leasier to take /sympathy\nThere are people in this audience working to find cures for\ncancer, and many of you are working to fund these efforts. I commend\nyou for your contributions to the eradication of this disease.\nThe cure rates and the numbers in so many different types of\ncancer are encouraging. But the most important number of all is one--\nthat one person you may know who needs your under standing when faced\nwith this disease.\nI believe we are all here to help each other and that our lives\nhave patterns and purposes. My illness turned out to have a very special\npurpose of helping save other lives, and I'm grateful that it did.\nE &\n###\nMrs. Ford American Cancer Society November 7 1975 (Rellen)\nI'm very glad to be here tonight, and that's not just a\nmy husband's\nline I borrowed from one of kiss political speeches. Thanks to\na regular medical checkup, good doctors and a loving supporting\nhusband and whichen understanding children I can truly say\nthis past year has been one of the richest and happiestof be my life.\npleased\nI'm equally grateful that the removal of my right breast\nare\nbecause of a malignancy produced open attenties\nand educational discussion of the problem. It truly made my\nhow\nown painful experience easier to bear to know that many women\nwere prompted to get medical treatment.\nI certainly don't mean to minimize the emotional impact of\nthe operation for me and my family, but knowing I helped\neducate other women to the dangers of heast cancer\nsave lives sustained me througha difficultperiod.\nSo many women are afraid of breast cancer\nto the point of endangering their lives that it is particularly important\nfor sensible, shought forward discressimsby\nthat this type of cancer be discussed frankly.\nCancer is not only a disease that takes many forms. It can\nthe\nfear\nalso produce & disease of the spirit. And much of the fear comes from\nignorance ignorance about the progress already made and ignorance\nof the NK importance of preventive medicine.\nPage Two\nI've always been a believer in the importance of regular\ncheckups, and I hope to convert\nthose of you who are too casual about your own health. As a mother,\nI've always Supervised been concerned about my children's health, but sometimes\nmothers and fathers who always get their children checked regularly\nmaix neglect themselves.\nYou'll forgive me for sounding just a little preachy on this\nsubject, but rexhard xxxxx XXXXXX\nI do have some first-hand X experience.\nBat the best doctors in the world can't cure\nwhat*x the spirit like love can, and all of us can\ngive love and support to our friends who have cancer.\nI could not have accepted a masectomy as well without a\nstrong marriage and a husband 's love. Cancer wherever it strikes\nin the body, also strikes the spirit.\nThere are people in this audience working to find cures for\ncancer, and many of you are working to fund these efforts. I commend\nyou for your contributions to the eradication of this disease.\nThe cure rates and the numbers in so many different formax\ntypes of cancer are encouraging. But the most important number of\nunderstanding\nall is one that one person you may know who needs your love and\ndisease.\nsupport when faced with this illness\nI believe we are all here to help each other and that our\nlives have patterns and purposes. My illness turned out to have\na very special purpose of helping save other lives, and I'm grateful\nthat it did.\n-30-\n(Pullen)\nNovember 3, 1975\nMRS. FORD, AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, NOVEMBER 7, 1975\nI'm very glad to be here tonight, and that's not just a line I\nborrowed from one of my husband's political speeches. Thanks to a\nregular medical checkup, good doctors, a loving supporting husband\nand understanding children -- I can truly say this past year has been\none of the richest and happiest of my life.\nI'm pleased that the removal of my right breast because of a\nmalignancy produced an open discussion of the problem. It truly made\nmy own painful experience easier to bear to know how many women were\nprompted to get medical treatment.\nI certainly don't mean to minimize the emotional impact of the\noperation for me and my family, but knowing I helped educate other\nwomen to the dangers of breast cancer sustained me through a difficult\nperiod.\n-2-\nSo many women are afraid of breast cancer to the point of\nendangering their lives that it is particularly important for sensible,\nstraight forward discussions.\nCancer is not only a disease that takes many forms. It can also\nproduce the disease of fear. And much of the fear comes from ignorance--\nignorance about the progress already made and ignorance of the importance\nof preventive medicine.\nI've always been a believer in the importance of regular checkups,\nand I hope to convert those of you who are too casual about your own health.\nAs a mother, I've supervised my children's health, but sometimes mothers\nand fathers who always get their children checked regularly neglect\nthemselves.\nYou'll forgive me for sounding just a little preachy on this subject,\nbut I do have some first-hand experience.\n-3- -\nThe best doctors in the world can't cure the spirit like love can,\nand all of us can give love and support to our friends who have cancer.\nI could not have accepted a masectomy as well without a strong\nmarriage and a husband's love. Cancer wherever it strikes in the body,\nalso strikes the spirit.\nThere are people in this audience working to find cures for\ncancer, and many of you are working to fund these efforts. I commend\nyou for your contributions to the eradication of this disease.\nThe cure rates and the numbers in so many different types of\ncancer are encouraging. But the most important number of all is one--\nthat one person you may know who needs your under standing when faced\nwith this disease.\nI believe we are all here to help each other and that our lives\nhave patterns and purposes. My illness turned out to have a very special\npurpose of helping save other lives, and I'm grateful that it did.\n# # #\nFORD & LIBRARY STREET\nNovember 5, 1975\nMRS. FORD'S REMARKS TO THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY,\nFRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1975\nI'm very glad to be here tonight, and that's not a line borrowed\nfrom a campaign speech.\nI feel absolutely marvelous. I just had my annual checkup and\nall my tests are completely clear. There is no sign whatsoever of a\ncancerous reoccurrence at this point. I'm convinced that I am completely\ncured.\nThanks to that checkup last September, good doctors, a loving\nsupporting husband and understanding children -- I can truly say this\npast year as been one of the richest and happiest of my life.\nWhen I went into the operating room that morning I was pretty\nsure it was going to turn out to be a malignancy and that my breast\nwould have to be removed. But once the operation was over, I was\nreally very relieved. I felt the doctors had gotten the cancer at such\nan early stage that I was very lucky.\n- 2 -\nThe most difficult moments were trying to pull my family through\nmy cancer operation. I really had to pull them through, and to try to\nmake them happy because they were so sad and upset.\nThe malignancy was something my husband never expected, and\nhe couldn't believe it was happening to me. The whole family felt that way.\nI think their surprise was a very natural reaction, because\none day I appeared to be fine and the next day I was in the hospital\nfor a masectomy. It made me realize how many women in the country\ncould be in the same situation.\nThat realization made me decide to discuss my breast cancer\noperation openly, because I thought of all the lives in jeopardy. My\nexperience and frank discussion of breast cancer did prompt many women\nto learn about self-examination, regular checkups and such detection\ntechniques as mammography.\n- 3 -\nI certainly don't mean to minimize the emotional impact of the\noperation for me and my family. But knowing I helped educate other\nwomen to the dangers of breast cancer did encourage me in some\ndark moments.\nToo many women are so afraid of breast cancer they endanger\ntheir lives. These fears of being scarred and of being \"less\" of a\nwoman are very real, and it's very important to talk about the emotional\nside effects honestly.\nIt was easier for me to accept the operation, because I had been\nmarried for 26 years and we had our four children. There was no\nproblem of lack of love, affection and attention.\nBut some women don't have these same emotional resources,\nand it's very necessary to deal realistically with the fears about breast\ncancer.\nIt isn't vanity to worry about disfigurement. It is an honest concern.\nI started wearing low-cut dresses as soon as the scar healed, and my\n- 4 -\nworries about my appearance are now just the normal ones of staying\nslim and keeping my hair fixed. When I asked myself whether I would\nrather lose a right arm or a breast? I'd rather have lost a breast.\nWhat is important is life--affnd good health.\nLast year I had that critical checkup at the insistence of a friend, and\nI've tried to repay that act of friendship by talking about how important\nregular checkups are for early detection of breast cancer and, of course,\nother types of cancer.\nBut cancer is not only a disease that takes many forms. It often\nproduces the disease of ear -- and much of that fear comes from ignorance\nabout the progress already made and ignorance of the need for preventive\nmedicine.\nCancer wherever it strikes the body, also strikes the spirit,\nand the best doctors in the world can't cure the spirit, only love and\nunderstanding can.\n-5- -\nAll of us can give love and support to our friends who have\ncancer. We can open our hearts and our minds to dealing with the fears\nthat cripple the spirit.\nThere are people in this audience working to find cures for\ncancer, and many of you help fund these research efforts. I thank\nyou personally for your contributions to the detection and the eradication\nof this disease.\nThe cure rates and the numbers in so many different types\nof cancer are encouraging. But the most important number of all is one--\nthat one person you may know who needs your under standing when faced\nwith this disease.\nI believe we are all here to help each other and that our lives\nhave patterns and purposes. My illness turned out to have a very special\npurpose -- helping save other lives, and I'm grateful that it did.\n# # #"
}