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October 23,
2006
Contact: Felix W. Ortiz,
President NHCSL (518) 455-3821 or Tatiana Guerra
202-434-8070
Senator Luz Arce Ferrer
Leads Women’s Health Panel At Nchsl Summit
-- Cancer Survivor Marion Luna Brem
Shares Story of Survival, Strength and Success
--
San Juan, Puerto Rico – Today, National Hispanic
Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) President,
Assemblyman Felix W. Ortiz (NY) and Senator Luz
Arce Ferrer (PR), Chair of NHCSL Health Task
Force, announced the agenda for the Women’s
Health Breakfast and Panel Discussion at NHCSL’s
Fourth National Summit on November 16th -19th,
2006 in San Juan, Puerto. The keynote speaker
for the Women’s Health Breakfast will be leading
businesswoman Marion Luna Brem, who survived
life-threatening bouts with breast and cervical
cancer. Brem will share her personal challenges
of coping with her illness while unemployed and
uninsured, before an audience of more than 100
Hispanic state legislators, corporate executives,
health and education experts.
“Hispanic women face great challenges when
confronted with debilitating illnesses such as
cancer. As head of households and family
caregivers, they often don’t choose to take care
of their own health needs before that of their
families. We must provide resources to make it
easier for women to find quality health care
that meets their individual needs and this
Summit will help us to find common solutions
that will work within our communities,” stated
Assemblyman Felix W. Ortiz.
“The issue of women’s health is of great
importance to the constituency we serve. Marion
Luna Brem’s story of courage will be inspiring
to women of all ages, and men, whose lives can
change as a result of going through a difficult
period either personally or with a family member,”
said Senator Arce Ferrer.
Brem, married with 2 young sons, had her near-perfect
home life shattered when she was diagnosed with
cancer and told she had only 2 to 5 years to
live. Battling life-threatening breast cancer
with no health insurance and no job, newly-divorced
Marion Luna Brem took her first job in sales.
She sold her first automobile at age 32 and at
age 36 she became President and CEO of her own
auto dealership. Love Chrysler, Inc., was
founded in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1989, and is
currently ranked nationally in Hispanic Business
and Working Woman magazine’s “Top 500.” Her
numerous professional accomplishments – inside
the male-dominated automotive industry – most
recently led to her induction into “The
International Automotive Hall of Fame.” Her
inspirational story has been profiled in The
Washington Post, Reader’s Digest, and most
recently the USA Today as well as numerous
women’s magazines. She has appeared on many
national radio and television shows, including
“The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “Robert Schuller’s
Hour of Power” and “Good Morning America.”
The Panel Discussion will include Puerto Rico-based
experts Dr. Maria L. Rios, President of the
Association of Cardiologists of Puerto Rico; Dr.
Luis Molinary Fernandez, President of the Puerto
Rican Society of Cardiology; Dr. Juan Jose
Hernandez, President of the American Heart
Association; and Lizzie Perez, Director,
Corporate and Government Affairs, Pfizer
Caribbean, Go Red for Women.
The Women’s Health Breakfast and Discussion will
be held at the NHCSL Summit on Saturday,
November 18th starting at 8:00 am. Registration
is required at www.nhcsl.org or call
202-434-8070 for more information.
# # #
The NHCSL is the premier national association of
Hispanic state legislators working to design and
implement policies and procedures that will
improve the quality of life for Hispanics
throughout the country. NHCSL was founded in
1989 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)3 with
the mission to be the most effective voice for
the more than 300 Hispanic legislators. For more
information visit www.nhcsl.org.
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