Mary Bird Perkins’ Live Well events bring free cancer screenings into the heart of the community. This spring, Live Well programs were held in Mississippi and Louisiana throughout April and May, bring cancer education and screenings to hundreds of community members.
Live Well events are held in a big, colorful street fair-style. Through the generosity of donors, free screenings are offered for breast, colorectal, prostate and skin cancer, along with biometric screenings and health education resources. Individuals who receive an abnormal finding are assigned a navigator who will assist in coordinating further testing and any other assistance needed.
This season’s screenings started with Live Well Mississippi on April 13 in Natchez, Miss., before continuing with Live Well Delta, sponsored by Healthy Blue, on April 27 in Monroe and Live Well Baton Rouge, sponsored by Karnival Krewe de Louisiane, on May 18. The program will take a short break before resuming in October.
Live Well Mississippi (April 13)
- 99 unique participants
- 168 total cancer screenings
- 59% uninsured
Live Well Delta (April 27)
- 125 unique participants
- 236 total cancer screenings
- 27% uninsured
Live Well Baton Rouge (May 18)
- 129 unique participants
- 235 total cancer screenings
- 53% uninsured
Mary Bird Perkins’ regional director of cancer support and outreach, Sharneitha Bradford, thanked sponsors, staff and the participants themselves. She called the events a “big success”.
“Mary Bird Perkins provided around 650 free cancer screenings, and we’re so happy to offer these important services to those who need them most,” she said.
“We’re committed to keeping this up for years to come, thanks to the community’s support. We encourage everyone to make their health a priority and take advantage of these screenings.”
Among the attendees was Terry Potts, who visited the Baton Rouge event after coming across it on a local news station. He said the experience was one he would happily repeat.
“Everyone was nice and (the experience was) informational,” he said.
“It was comfortable. People were helpful in telling you where you needed to go and would make recommendations for other screenings. I’d tell people who are interested that they need to come down and get it done.”
Live Well events take place every year in six regions across Louisiana and southwest Mississippi, including Baton Rouge, Covington, Gonzales, Houma, Monroe and Natchez.
Beginning in October, the next Live Well events will be held throughout the fall of 2024. They are:
- Live Well Ascension (Gonzales) – October 5
- Live Well Northshore (Covington) – October 19
- Live Well Bayou (Houma) – November 2
For more information on upcoming screening events, or to schedule an appointment for a screening, visit marybird.org/get-screened.