Prevent, Run, Support: Breast Cancer Awareness at AUBG and Beyond

On October 10, the first of three events marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month took place in the BAC Auditorium. AUBG organized an open lecture and presentation, a charity marathon, and a fundraising bazaar.

The Better Community Club (BCC) hosted guest lecturer Dr. Vanya Mitova, a specialist and practitioner in Bulgaria's largest breast cancer department. She delivered a 30-minute interactive presentation breast cancer prevention strategies, and the importance of timely diagnosis.

Step One – Prevent

At the start of the lecture, participants completed a short questionnaire. It was meant to check how much they know about this disease. Dr. Mitova concluded that knowledge among both young people and the older generations is insufficient.

Dr. Mitova emphasized that early and accurate diagnosis plays a crucial role in the success of treatment. She also shared findings from recent research conducted over the past year in eight schools in different cities across Bulgaria.

“The number of schools was symbolic, representing the fact that one in every eight women will develop to hear the diagnosis of breast cancer in her lifetime,” she explained.

Throughout her talk, Dr. Mitova, gave examples from her professional experience. She discussed the importance of different types of examination, and the symptoms a woman might experience due to this illness.

According to Dr. Mitova, 1,300 to 1,400 women with breast cancer are seen annually, while 4,000 are newly diagnosed. This means that almost one third of women in Bulgaria pass through Dr. Mitova’s department.

“Unfortunately, we are seeing it [breast cancer] more and more often,” said Dr. Mitova, “One of the reasons is that it is not recognized as a disease and very often mimics inflammatory processes.”

During the lecture, Dr. Mitova introduced her newly developed mobile application, “Breast Help.” The app is the first of its kind in Bulgaria. It may be used for prevention, screening, and monitoring breast cancer patients.

 

Step Two – Run

The Breast Cancer Awareness Month program continued on October 12 at Bachinovo lake, with two community-focused initiatives: a charity marathon and a fundraising bazaar.

BCC worked alongside Blagoevgrad Municipality, the student club AUBG Olympics, and South-West University “Neofit Rilski” in organizing this event.

The marathon brought together students from AUBG and residents of Blagoevgrad, all running together for a good cause. Participants wore pink shirts or ribbons to show support for the cause. It was a sign of solidarity with those affected and a call for early detection and prevention.

Albena Dimitrova, Vice President of BCC, explained that the club is collecting funds for the non-governmental organization “For Her,” which helps women with breast cancer. This funding will help the NGO provide direct assistance to patients and help healthcare institutions strengthen their care services specifically for this disease.

“This year we did it differently than before,” shared Mario Boyanov, President of AUBG Olympics. “Usually, the event takes place between ABF and BAC, the marathon was shorter (in length) and not that many people would sign up because it was a closed event for AUBG.”

Boyanov expressed his happiness about BCC’s decision to make the event more open and accessible to people from Blagoevgrad and everywhere else.

Although members of the club had many ideas and wanted to involve more clubs and partners, they had only three to four weeks to prepare. This created some logistical challenges and disorganization along the way.

The President of BCC, Iva Kambitova remarked, “Most challenging, was that we did not have enough time to do it.” She added that the team managed to overcome this setback, however they had to work within very constraining timeframes.

Alongside the marathon path, the charaity bazaar was held. It offered an array of sweet treats, baked goods, and handmade crafts.

 

Step Three – Support

The third event, the second fundraising bazaar in this program, took place at ABF lawn on October 15. There was good music, home-cooked goods, and cosmetic products handed out to people donating for the cause.

The AUBG Olympics club presented sports activities and encouraged the students to commune.

To conclude the event, BCC alongside HWBC organized a free breast cancer screening for AUBG students.

 

Edited by Kaloyan Ivanov and Spasiela Gizdova