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Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento

Plymouth Breast Cancer Survivor Quilts to Help Find a Cure     08-21-2008
Sacramento, Calif. |Aug. 21, 2008 - Janice Dias' quilt is called "Pink for Life." Decorated with various shades of the color universally recognized as a symbol of hope and awareness for breast cancer, Dias says she is dedicating the quilt in honor of her family and friends who offered support during her personal ordeal with the disease. And when it is auctioned off at the 2008 Sutter Breast Cancer Quilt Auction in October, it will help others who are facing the same diagnosis.

Dias was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2006. She underwent two surgeries - a lumpectomy followed by a mastectomy when it was feared that the cancer may have spread throughout her breast. The surgeries were followed with four and a half months of chemotherapy. What's ironic is that Dias underwent her routine annual mammogram in October 2005, but found a lump during a self-exam in late December 2005.

"I believe strongly in the importance of mammograms as well as self-examinations," says Dias, 54. "Both are critical for detecting breast cancer early and thereby improving the survival rate."

The 24-year Plymouth resident and grandmother of one has married her love of quilting and her unwavering support to help others touched by breast cancer through the Sutter Breast Cancer Quilt Auction.

"I enjoy everything about quilting," Dias says, who has been quilting for five years and also helped make a part of a quilt that the American Sewing Guild of El Dorado and Amador Counties is donating to the auction. "The beautiful fabric, being creative, the joy of giving and the people who share my passion."

Starting Oct. 1, several hundred handcrafted quilts and textile art will be on display for the silent auction at the Sutter Cancer Center, 2800 L St. in Sacramento. A live auction will take place on Nov. 1 at 10 a.m. An online auction is available too at .www.smcfoundation.cmarket.com.

Sutter Cancer Center is open daily and the public is welcome to visit the quilt display anytime during October. There will be a bid sheet for each item on display so that individuals may bid during their visit.

Dias adds that she especially happy to be a part of a cause affiliated with Sutter Cancer Center in Sacramento, where her mother Rosemary Sims received treatment for a rare blood disorder called polycythemia vera.

"We were very impressed with Sutter Cancer Center," Dias says. "It's frightening being referred there, but the setting is designed to be a warm, comfortable environment with caring nurses and lots of distractions like puzzles and books. They obviously choose the best people to help their patients heal."

Every three years since 1999, California quilters have generously created beautiful quilts for the auction. The past three auctions raised more than $300,000 for Sutter Cancer Center programs. Around 1,400 quilts were donated to those auctions.Learn more about the auction by visiting www.suttermedicalcenter.org/quiltauction.

Sutter Cancer Center does more than treat a disease. We care for people living with cancer and strive to meet their physical, mental and emotional needs. Through comprehensive programs and services, we support our patients and those who care for them. For more information, visit www.suttercancer.org.

Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, is affiliated with Sutter Health, a not-for-profit, community based health system located throughout Northern California. For more information on Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, visit www.suttermedicalcenter.org.