Breast Cancer Tips Begin!

Weekly this summer I will be sharing tips and strategies cancer survivors have found helpful to achieve healthy living so please visit my blog regularly!

Tip Number 1: Get Moving

The most important lifestyle tip I learned was how essential exercise was to preventing breast cancer.  Twenty to thirty minutes per day at least five days a week can reduce recurrence by 40-50%.  This is the most common tip recommended by oncologists.

For more tips ...please stay tuned!

Love,
Dymond Elise

Happy 100 ACS!

Hello All, 
As I work in partnership with Endo Health Solutions & The American Cancer Society, in their support and quest to "End Cancer" I ask everyone to do what they can to join  the following cause:

The American Cancer Society (ACS), one of the nation's leading organizations committed to fighting all forms of cancer, is celebrating 100 years of saving lives. This year ACS has asked its supporters and sponsors, including Endo, to speak out, make noise, and take action to finish the fight against cancer once and for all.

ACS has made significant progress in the last two decades against the disease, helping reduce overall cancer death rates by 20% since the early 1990s and saving over 400 lives every day that would have been lost to cancer. As a corporate sponsor, Endo has been asked to help share the ACS story among internal and external audiences. I encourage each and everyone of you to join in on the celebration by becoming knowledgeable and donating your time, talents, and services to the cause!

To learn more about ACS's work to end cancer, visit cancer.org and visit Endo Pharmaceuticals official website to learn how Endo continues to support this important cause. 

Thanks for your help and attention!
With Love,
Dymond Elise

Out and About

This past month I accomplished something that meant the World to me, I graduated from Spelman College. To stand on stage and receive recognition for something that I worked toward for my entire life was surreal and something that I will always cherish. Outside of this accomplishment I also had the opportunity to go back to the roots of my volunteer work, breast cancer awareness and early detection. I was able to take part in an fundraising effort sponsored by Coca-Cola. This was a great event to take part in for me because I always love to be engaged and raising funds towards saving lives. I believe that it is my calling because if it was not for the efforts of others, my mother may not have survived. Therefore I must continue to pay it forward!

Being part of the Miss Black USA organization also includes becoming a voice for the Missing and Exploited Children's cause/center which is funded and exposed through Take 25 events. This past month was dedicated to their efforts, however the cause continues and takes place year around. I encourage each and everyone of you to look into how you can get involved because it could save the family unit of someone close to you.

While touching on children, I was asked by my church to be the host of our children's program and helping them get in touch with their history. I was able to set up and host them at the Martin Luther King Center and it was a blast! Being in the community, learning and interacting with the kids, and giving them a positive outlook on life meant the World to me and will not be forgotten. In the next couple of weeks I have a lot planned so please stay tuned!

With Love,
Dymond Elise

Harm Reduction

This past week I was honored to work for a cause that I can say truly makes a difference, AHRC. It is a harm reduction coalition that aims at providing the high risk/needs community with a shot at success and a better life. It is a non-profit organization that focuses on community-based prevention and is also a wellness organization committed to improving the overall health and well being of marginalized individuals and communities. They make improvements through education, tiered risk reduction programs through partnerships, to empower adults in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of; substance use, HIV/AIDS, STDS, hepatitis, and other communicable diseases.

Upon beginning my work with the organization I did not know what to expect however the staff welcomed me with open arms and quickly made me feel as though I was a full-time staff member. I was educated on the mission and history of the organization and was able to use my outreach skills in order to produce materials and speeches that could encourage others to join in on AHRC's work through donations of time, talents, and resources. Outside of these efforts I was also a part of an fundraising event. This was my favorite part of the experience because I was able to communicate with the individuals that AHRC touches and truly use my passion for health initiatives to change lives and for that I am forever grateful.

In closing being Miss Black Texas USA has opened so many doors and has provided me with the platform to touch lives and make a difference. Touching lives is my purpose and how I take each stride in my life and am therefore, I will forever be endowed to the Miss Black USA Organization! And with that I say thank you.

Blessed,
Dymond Elise

Update!

So much has taken place since my last blog entry. I can say that next month I will be graduating from Spelman College and am so thankful for that. Graduating from college means the starting of a new chapter in my life! I am blessed to say that thanks to my support system and God I secured a job with a top fifteen company in a fast-track program. Starting this summer I will be employed with AT&T as a business account executive. What is amazing is that throughout my interview process a lot of the skills that I gained through pageantry were transferable and ultimately led me to my success and for that I am thankful and encouraging anyone who is thinking about entering a pageant to do so because the payoff is amazing!

I also was blessed to take part in another Race for the Cure Walk. I must say that these are some of my favorite events of the year because they allow me to not only work with my personal platform, but to also connect with people who have similar passions as me and are motivated to make a difference. Please remember that these walks are held year around across the country and is one of Susan Komen's main fundraising initiatives. The time and donations that you place towards this initiative could ultimately save lives and I encourage you to donate!

Finally this past weekend I was able to use my speaking skills in order to be the mistress of ceremonies for The American Diamonds Pageant. A pageant that is christian based and strives to showcase the talents of young girls between the ages of 4 and 18 who are committed to being exemplary role models in their community and believe in giving back. I was honored to host the event and meet girls across the country who are outstanding in their own right and illustrate the bright future that our country has in store. In the upcoming months I have more events planned so please stay tuned!

Love,
Dymond Elise