From patient to now a staff member, Sheena Brockmann has come a long way in her journey with Carol Milgard Breast Center. As a breast cancer survivor, Sheena wanted to give back not only to the organization that has helped her, but to the breast cancer community as well.
In 2014, Sheena was in for a mammogram and saw a flyer advertising Pink at the Park, an annual benefit event at Cheney Stadium. Seeing it sparked her curiosity, as well as her inspiration, and she felt called to contribute to the event in some way. As fate would have it, her skills as a photographer – which was her career field at the time – helped her make a contribution to the event.
“It’s an amazing event and one of the best parts of it for me is the Circle of Hope,” she says.
During the Pink at the Park ballgame, there’s a point where breast cancer survivors and their families are invited to walk onto the field as a group. The Circle of Hope creates a moment of recognition filled with emotion that everyone in attendance can sense.
“Being on the field is a very powerful feeling. You almost feel like there’s no one else in the stadium but this group of people.”
After four years of volunteering her time and skills as a photographer for Pink at the Park, Sheena wanted to connect with Carol Milgard Breast Center even more. In addition to continuing to volunteer, for the past year she’s also worked for the organization that has made such an impact on her life.
“I love the organization and what they stand for,” she says. “It’s just something I’ve always wanted to be a part of.”
Now, as a former patient in remission and as a staff member, she uses her past experience and passion for the organization to provide patients with compassionate support and assistance. In her role as a registered medical assistant, Sheena helps patients who are waiting for their mammogram screenings.
Her typical day entails working on the screening floor, greeting patients and helping them get into their robes for their exam. Sheena also helps the technicians with the overall patient flow, and aids the technologists by verifying that a patient’s intake information is correct. And sometimes part of her work means sitting with a patient and helping to ease their nerves.
“Some ladies come in and are really nervous. One of my favorite parts of my job is being able to sit with a patient until it’s time to go back for their exam.”
Besides working in her current rewarding job, Sheena plans to give back in even more ways. She says she has known for a while that she wanted to give back and pay forward the excellent care she’s experienced at Carol Milgard Breast Center, and one way she plans to do that is through a future job change. She credits the positive experiences she’s had as the catalyst for her recent return to school. Sheena is currently enrolled in a program to become a mammography technologist.
“Working on the screening floor with these amazing technologists inspired me to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up,” she says with a laugh.
What it really comes down to for Sheena is knowing that at every stage of her work journey that what she’s doing is making an impact. Along with her desire to help, she is also an advocate for women getting screened regularly. Getting mammograms are important, especially in the role they play in early detection and treatment.
“Women don’t always notice a change in their breasts,” she explains. “If something is discovered, it’s so vital to detect it early.”
The reasons to get involved and support Carol Milgard Breast Center are numerous, but people can support the organization through the annual Pink at the Park event through bidding on silent auction items or purchasing gift baskets. Proceeds from the event go back into Carol Milgard Breast Center to provide mammograms to women who can’t afford them.
Save the Date for Pink at the Park 2020
Sunday, July 26, 2020, will mark the 10th anniversary of the Pink at the Park event. Over the last 10 years, Carol Milgard Breast Center has raised a total of $110,455 through this event. Pink at the Park has honored more than 400 warriors and survivors through Circle of Hope, as well as brought together more than 265 volunteers who have helped with fundraising efforts from assisting with live and silent auctions to day-of activities.
The Pink at the Park Kickoff event took place recently. The event launched the 50/50 raffle and also brought about a new jersey design. You are able to purchase a name in honor of someone as part of the jersey design for a donation of $75 – 2020 jerseys will showcase the name in the background of the design along with other honoree names. At the 2020 Pink at the Park game, you’ll be able to bid on autographed jerseys worn at the game.
Sponsorships are available. For more information, contact Barb Fox at bfox@tranow.com. The Carol Milgard Breast Center is located at 4525 South 19th Street in Tacoma. To find out more information on how to support the organization or to access their services, use their website or call them at 253-759-2622.
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