Suffolk County mom & daughter share cancer battle stories that led to generation of advocates
Diane Kearns was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. Her mother, grandmother and aunt also battled the disease.
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A Suffolk County family is fighting breast cancer together and is sharing how their battle led to a generation of advocates.
Diane Kearns and her 83-year-old mother, Joan Flaumenbaum-Van Bommel, are cancer survivors.
The disease runs in their family.
"My mom was diagnosed with it 32 years ago, her mother was diagnosed after my mom, and my mom's sister was diagnosed with it," says Kearns.
Kearns says her grandmother passed away from the disease years ago, but both her mother and aunt beat the odds.
She says she gets her inspiration from her mother, who has been an advocate for breast cancer awareness for more than 30 years.
"We turned into a positive because with the groups I was involved with on a national scale. We went to Washington and Albany, we put a face to the disease," says Flaumenbaum-Van Bommel.
Now, both mother and daughter are local advocates for breast cancer prevention and awareness.
