Asbestos causes Mesothelioma and people who work around asbestos fibers are thought to have the greatest risk of having this cancer. But do you know that asbestos is a mineral that’s found naturally in the environment? It is used in a wide variety of applications, such as in insulation, cement, brakes, shingles, flooring and many other products. If you’re not aware of this, it’s time you should be careful and cautious about this cancer causing mineral.

Mary Ann Puno, 48 years old and a mother of three, was living a charmed life until she found out that she had cancer almost three years ago. When the doctor told her about her condition, she didn’t cry. She kept quiet and tried to process the bad news. Only when she came home did she pour her heart out, alone in the bathroom, asking God to enlighten her about her predicament. Afterwards, she went to church, wearing a green slipper on one foot and a gold one on the other, with her family. Instead of sulking in a corner like how a normal person would, she told everyone about her disease and asked for prayers of healing.

She also did not intrude on the lives of her family during her bout with breast cancer. She let them sort out their own lives and feelings and deal individually with the reality of her disease. Today, after two years and eight months, Mary Ann has grown a short but beautiful mane again and no longer needs to take her medication, which was originally prescribed for a five-year period. It will take the said period to determine if she is really free from breast cancer, but that said, her life has never been as blessed as it is now. Breast cancer has taught her how to enjoy life’s simple pleasures.

Mary Ann’s story is just one of the 21 inspiring tales of breast cancer suffering and survival featured in “Everyday Warriors,” collection of images by photographer Jay Lara and interviews by writer and creative director Cathy Paras-Lara. It was turned into a coffee table book that was recently launched in an exhibit at the Rockwell Archaeology Wing. She joins director and activist Bibeth Orteza, actress Melissa de Leon Joseph, publisher Dr. Mianne Silvestre, Drs. Leny Fernandez and Ma. Soccoro Masoc Garcia, Cris Cang, Mimi Martin, Purita Manalo, Pearl Imperial, Suzette Andrews, Nora Gracia, Tan Badillo, Anita Ruiz, Whilma Corella, Marilou Hinampas, Noemi Cutinez, Apipa Paras, Sohura Dimaampao, and Lyn Simon.

The chosen beneficiary of the project is the Joy in Living Foundation, a cancer support group founded in 2003. The foundation, which began when a teacher and a fashion designer, both stricken with cancer, met through their doctor, provides psycho-social support for the cancer patients and their families. Among their numerous activities are lectures about depression, nutritional cooking, aerobic yoga, tai chi and personal retreat, and alternative treatment modalities.

Along with the Joy in Living Foundation, Mary Ann also made it her mission to help other women who are suffering from breast cancer and spread greater awareness of the disease by sharing her personal battle. She shares this message with women who are now experiencing the tough time she went through. “My sisters in cancer who are women of worth and substance; though you’ve been pained and wounded, let us use our experience to reach out and inspire and heal others and also, let us not forget, to be wounded healers for each other.”

I became aware of this campaign when my other blog Straight from the Heart was tagged with this topic, “Reshaping the Filipina Image Online“. I have learned that Filipinaimages.com is holding an SEO contest to encourage Filipino bloggers to blog about the word Filipina because from their observation when they tried searching for the word Filipina on major search engine like Google or Yahoo, the results are more on dating, sexy Filipina, Filipina penpal, Mail to order Filipina bride or Filipina caregivers. As a Filipina I want to support this goal to revive the image of Filipina women online.

In my three months of blogging I was surprised when I’ve learned that a considerable percentage of intelligent and talented women who share their lives, thoughts and insights online are Filipina bloggers from different parts of the world. Most of these Filipina bloggers are pinaymoms who are either working or stay at home moms. And base from their profile or judging from their blog posts, these stay at home moms in the US, Europe, Australia and other parts of the world, most of them talk about how they enjoy life and living it to the fullest, they brag about their loving husband and family, and how they use their talent in writing to earn serious money while blogging.

Pinay bloggers are the best online carrier and promoter of modern Filipina. I hope more pinay bloggers will support this campaign to voice out in the whole world that we Filipinas are worthy of respect and are always and truly proud of our race!