Speech by Dr. Anna Kohen at the AAWO Florida Chapter annual event for breast cancer awareness on October 11, 2026
Some conversations are too important to be reduced to a month, a ribbon, or a passing moment of attention. We are here for more than a color-we are here for a cause.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Motra e vëllezër,
Welcome to our ninth annual breast cancer awareness symposium. Today, we stand together for more than awareness. We stand for hope, strength, and action. Breast cancer can affect our mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, friends, and any one of us. Early detection saves lives, so let this month be about more than wearing pink. Know your body. Get screened. Encourage someone you love to get checked, and never ignore a change.
To every survivor: You inspire those who are still fighting, and you are not alone. To those we have lost: We remember you, honor you, and carry your strength forward. One message, one action, one life saved-that matters.
Life will not always be easy. There will be moments when you feel tired, discouraged, or uncertain about what comes next. You may face failure, rejection, disappointment, and obstacles that seem impossible to overcome. But remember: Your circumstances do not define you. What defines you is how you respond.
Keep moving, keep believing, and keep working for the life you want. Do not compare your journey with someone else’s. Every person has a different starting point, a different struggle, and a different path. When you do not feel motivated, do it anyway. When you are afraid, move forward anyway. When you doubt yourself, believe in yourself anyway.
Sometimes the difference between success and failure is the decision to take one more step and stand tall. Turn your pain into strength, your failures into lessons, and your dreams into goals. When life tells you that you cannot, look life in the eyes and say, “Watch me.” Your story is not finished. Your best days may still be ahead, so do not quit. Keep going, because the person you are becoming is worth the struggle.
I would now like to thank the Michael J. Koskloski Foundation and his trustee, Fotini Allteni, for making this event possible. Thank you, Fotini.
Thank you, Dr. Sarah, for sharing your knowledge with us. Thank you, Mira, for coming from Tirana, Albania, to share your story. And thank you to Vaske Cure, DJ Alba, and Edmir Prifti for entertaining us and bringing us together.
Last but not least, thank you to all the board members and volunteers who helped make this event special.
Thank you.