Sheriff speaks about her cancer at Komen event

Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens spoke about her battle with breast cancer Sunday at the Komen Orange County Survivor Celebration & Awards Luncheon at the Oasis Senior Center in Corona del Mar.

She was diagnosed with Stage III breast cancer last year and is undergoing radiation treatment.

Koman also recognized three Orange County women for their contributions to breast healthcare.

“I was fortunate enough to discover a lump through self-examination,” the sheriff said in a news release. “The cancer was caught early. Komen Orange County is in the community where we work and where we shop, spreading the message of early detection and providing those less fortunate with resources for low- or no-cost breast healthcare services.”

Georganna Hall Wadsack of Huntington Beach received the award for Most Inspirational Breast Cancer Survivor, according to the release. She was diagnosed when she was 38, in 2011.

Wadsack, who didn’t have insurance, received a Komen-funded mammogram after two doctors turned her away. The group also helped her find a grant to help pay for her treatment.

She recently completed treatment and now is a volunteer with Stand Up for the Cure, an annual fundraiser that raised $100,000 for Komen Orange County last year, according to the release.

Angela Acevedo received the award for Outstanding Breast Health Advocate, and Melissa McGee was named Most Inspirational Co-Survivor.

Acevedo was honored for her work as a nurse navigator at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Orange, as well as volunteering at many Komen events and serving on the Komen Orange County tissue bank steering committee, the release says.

Acevedo even donated some of her own breast tissue at a drive in Indiana.

According to the release, McGee has dealt with breast cancer four separate times. She cared for her mother, who was diagnosed in 1991, and a close friend, who died during her second fight against breast cancer. Her best friend is currently undergoing chemotherapy.

McGee is also the creator of the “Susan’s Garden” posters that hang at the finish line of each Komen Orange County Race for the Cure event.

“These amazing women possess the dedication, compassion and strength that help Komen Orange County provide vital breast health programs and raise funds for groundbreaking research,” Executive Director Lisa Wolter said in a prepared statement.

For more information, visit https://www.komenoc.org or call (714) 957-9157.

[For the record, 9:31 a.m. Aug. 14: An earlier version of this story incorrectly spelled Komen in the headline as Koman.]