Texas Cancer Charity Brings Free Mammograms to Lufkin

When Media Cole talks about the importance of cancer screenings, she's speaking from hard-won family experience. Her grandmother died from breast cancer when Cole was just a teenager, and her mother is a survivor who caught the disease early enough to beat it.

Now Cole serves as Program Director for the East Texas Alliance of Hope, a Lufkin nonprofit founded by breast cancer survivor Ashley Berry. The organization doesn't just help people already fighting cancer. It works to stop diagnoses before they happen.

"Anything that we can do to help individuals get ahead of a diagnosis, we try to do that for them," Cole said. Early detection changed her mother's story, and she wants the same chance for everyone in East Texas.

This Wednesday, the organization is bringing The Rose Mobile Mammograms to Lufkin for National Cancer Prevention Month. The mobile unit will park at 2306 West Frank Ave., Suite E, offering screenings from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for insured patients who bring a photo ID, insurance card, and doctor's referral.

Cole stressed that waiting for symptoms can cost precious time. "If we go in, go ahead and get those screenings that we need, then when we find out what's going on, then we can take care of it rather than having to deal with it because we didn't take care of it as soon as possible," she said.

The organization's support extends beyond mammograms. The East Texas Alliance of Hope provides financial assistance and support groups for anyone in the community dealing with cancer, regardless of type.

The Ripple Effect

When a breast cancer survivor starts a nonprofit, it creates waves that touch entire families. Berry's personal battle became a community lifeline that now helps catch cancer before it spreads, supports families through treatment, and reminds East Texans they're not alone in the fight.

The organization plans a separate mobile mammogram event in June specifically for uninsured patients, ensuring no one gets left behind because of their insurance status.

One screening can change everything, and this Wednesday, that chance is rolling right into Lufkin.