Breast cancer survivors give Strut Your Style fashion show meaning

Fashionable fundraiser

Dr. Kwei Lee Su stops at the Goldschmidt Cancer Center table to show off her full-length dress from Saffees to Jeanine Kunz, at left, and Laura Harms during the fashion show.
Dr. Kwei Lee Su stops at the Goldschmidt Cancer Center table to show off her full-length dress from Saffees to Jeanine Kunz, at left, and Laura Harms during the fashion show.

For the third year, 31-year-old breast cancer survivor Tauncey Behringer participated in the Strut Your Style fashion show representing young women everywhere affected by breast cancer.

After becoming pregnant in 2011, Behringer was diagnosed with two forms of breast cancer. Fortunately, she said, doctors were able to detect and treat it at an early stage. As a result, she has been in remission for five years.

"There's no glammer in going through breast cancer, and events like this help us focus on the beauty of it and the surviving of it," Behringer said. "A lot of aspects of breast cancer are negative and this is one way of making it positive."

Strut Your Style is a fashion show that raises funds to help local breast cancer survivors. Sherrie Brandt, creator and organizer of the fundraiser, told the News Tribune her goal was to keep funds that work towards breast cancer research and treatment in the region.

This year there were 20 models, including three men who have survived breast cancer.

"What we're trying to do is to show that survival is possible," Brandt said.

The Community Breast Care Project, a local breast cancer support organization, are the recipients of all the proceeds.

Since 2007, the Community Breast Care Project has helped women and men who have been diagnosed with breast cancer in Cole, Callaway, Osage, Miller, Morgan and Moniteau and most recently Camden county.

"It's very expensive to have breast cancer," said Lorie Smith, executive director of Community Breast Care Project. "As a breast cancer survivor, I understand that even if you are insured, your deductibles can still be high."

One of the functions of the CBCP is giving grants of $500 to applicants.

In order to receive the grant, a patient must have been diagnosed in the last 12 months, live in an eligible county and not have received money from the organization before. Since 2007, the group has given away a total of $105,000 to assist breast cancer survivors with their everyday needs.

Lorie Smith thanked Brandt for hosting the fundraiser.

"It's awesome to think that we don't have to worry about the money coming in because of people like her," Smith said.

Linda Ennis, a first-year model in the show, was diagnosed in 2015 with stage four breast cancer. Ennis said her cancer had found a home in her bone marrow, even after consistent negative results on her mammogram readings.

Now Ennis is taking chemotherapy. Not only are the pills very expensive, she said, but it is a medicine she will have to take for the rest of her life.

"I'm so fortunate," Ennis said. "I'm kind of taken aback by how many young women there are who are affected."

Dr. Raonak Ekram, medical oncologist at Goldschmidt Cancer Center, said events like this help the community to understand all aspects of cancer care.

"We often times see patients go through very trying periods in their lives, but we don't get to see what comes afterward and that's survivorship," Ekram said. "It's important for the community to come together to support cancer in general; that includes treatment, advancements in cancer and the people who are going through their journey."

Dr. Shadi Haddadin, medical oncologist at Jefferson City Medical Group and SSM Cancer Center, agreed raising awareness is very important.

"As you can see the survivors today have joined us in the celebration and this is proof that treating breast cancer and screening helps people to be healthier and live longer," Haddadin said. "Screening saves lives."