When Your Mom Gets Cancer
21/10/2015 05:00pm | 7588 viewsPara ti Mami..
For years my mom avoided going to the gynecologist out of embarrassment (typical response from an older Latina). “Que pena,” she would tell me. After all, my mom, who was born in Havana, Cuba, had been brought up in an ultra-conservative environment. Case in point, even after she and my dad married in a civil ceremony my abuela or aunt chaperoned them until their church wedding a few days later.
Alzheimer’s: A New Reality
30/09/2015 06:00am | 7202 viewsI remember as a child I couldn't wait to grow up so I could stay up past 9 pm, drive myself to the mall or the movies, and eat whatever I wanted. I never thought that as I grew up so would my parents, and as they aged that they might begin to fade as well.
Now, in my 40s, I have had to face the death of my mom from cancer, my father’s revelation that he has Parkinson’s, and the fact that some of my friends’ parents are also ill. It is because of this and them that we all must live healthier lives so that we can leave a healthy legacy for our children.
Recently, the father of a longtime family friend was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, which affects the brain and causes a person’s memory, thinking, and reasoning skills to deteriorate. Below is the story she shared on her blog about facing the fact that her father is fading fast.
Why Ignoring a Lump Can Cost You Your Life
26/08/2015 01:20pm | 7865 viewsWhen my friend’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, it had already progressed to stage 3. The year before, her husband had a died of liver cancer, and she later revealed to her family that her doctors had found a lump in her breast but since she was so overwhelmed with grief, she didn’t have time to deal with it.
Breast Cancer Survivor: Choosing to Live Over Having Children
08/03/2015 03:16am | 7603 viewsAfter undergoing 16 rounds of chemotherapy for breast cancer, Lily Lorenzo-Luaccs was told she would need to have a hysterectomy. In her early 30s, this Latina had to grapple with the decision of risking her life in the future if she choose to have children.
When Breast Cancer Strikes at 32
01/02/2015 12:00pm | 7675 viewsIn August 2004, my high school and college friend, Lilly Lorenzo-Luaces, a child psychologist who lives in Miami with her fiancee, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Almost 11 years later, she is cancer free. I sat down with her to discuss her story.
About the Author
A seasoned corporate communications, PR, public affairs, marketing, and media relations professional with experience working with domestic and international non-profit and for-profit organizations and companies, Marisa has effectively developed, led, and executed strategic communications and relationship-building initiatives over the past 18 years.
A journalist by trade, she launched her career as the only
bilingual journalist at People Magazine
and People En Español in the Miami
Bureau in 1995.
In 2000, the University of Florida Journalism School graduate joined an Atlanta market research firm specializing in providing consulting services to non-profits and later worked for an international orphan advocacy group where she and other staff members met with the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child regarding the basic right of a child, without parents, to have a permanent home.
In 2005, she continued honing her communications expertise by serving as the national media spokesperson and trade association member liaison to the $4.6 billion-dollar global infant formula industry. In addition to leveraging relationships with print and online media outlets, Marisa led outreach initiatives to form alliances with medical and healthcare groups and gained a penchant for navigating politically sensitive issues and advocating on public policy positions.
Spearheading Hispanic marketing and outreach efforts for a national financial services agency in 2010, Marisa developed national, regional, and local corporate and non-profit partnerships that increased the organization's visibility across the country as well as leveraged relationships with Spanish-language media outlets to garner additional exposure for the organization.
In her last position, Marisa was part of the corporate communications department at UPS headquarters where she worked in collaboration with the internal team to inform, engage, and empower the company's 400,000 employees across 220 countries regarding key internal and external initiatives and programs.
Born to Cuban immigrants, Marisa has always valued her Hispanic heritage, culture, and Spanish language as well as been active in the Hispanic community. In August 2012, she was selected to serve as the President of the Center for Hispanic Leadership's inaugural Atlanta chapter with a focus on providing culturally-relevant educational online and onsite training to help Latino professionals lead in the workplace and advance in their careers.
Marisa serves on several boards in the Atlanta area, where she lives with her husband and two children, including: Emory Goizueta School of Business Hispanic Recruiting Advisory Board of Directors, the International Charter School of Atlanta, and the Childcare Congo Foundation. She is also member of the National Association of Professional Women, the International Association of Business Communicators, and the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association.