#EmployersThinkPink

When a loved one is diagnosed with breast cancer, family and friends deal with a mix of emotions, including sadness, anger, and hope. The same was true when a long-time employee of Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., an injury law firm in Bergen County NJ, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009.

Eight years ago, Annette went to her doctor after finding a lump in her breast. Testing was done and she was diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer, stage 2B. The news not only sent shock waves to Annette and her family, but it reverberated to her loved ones at the firm as well.

Even though it was a battle that she had not asked for, Annette was determined to come through victorious. She underwent surgery and began aggressive treatment through Hackensack Medical Center’s Betty Torricelli Institute for Care in Hackensack, NJ. After countless rounds of radiation, she went into remission and has been cancer free since 2009.

In honor of Annette’s unremitting fight, Partner, Garry Salomon has created the #EmployersThinkPink initiative. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, any employee who has not had a mammogram will have paid time off during the work day to do so. His hope is that all employers adopt this idea, because he has seen the impact of the disease and understands that diagnosing it early on can save lives.

It is estimated that in the US this year, there will be 246,660 diagnosed new cases of invasive breast cancer in women, as well as 61,000 cases of non-invasive breast cancer. In Annette’s case, because of a busy schedule, she had put off her yearly mammogram by few months. She says just that short amount of time made a huge difference in her diagnosis – if she had not waited, doctors would have caught her cancer at stage 1.

Since her battle, Annette has devoted much of her time to raising awareness of this life-threatening disease, because she knows firsthand how devastating a diagnosis of breast cancer can be. Each year, Annette, along with her “DIVAS” team, walks the “Making Strides” event in Bergen County, which raises awareness and money for cancer research. The Davis, Saperstein & Salomon P.C. family will be joining the team Sunday, October 29^th  at The New Overpeck Park in Ridgefield Park. For more information, visit http://goo.gl/hZMyHQ.