13 Oct 2017

Former Miss South Pacific the face for Breast cancer fight

4:18 pm on 13 October 2017

A former Miss South Pacific, Manumea Apelu-Schwalger, has been called a courageous fighter for raising awareness of breast cancer.

A pink ribbon symbolising breast cancer

Photo: 123RF

A march was held this week in the Samoa capital, Apia, as part of Pinktober and Mrs Schwalger, as a surviving breast cancer patient, has been dubbed the face of the local campaign by acting Prime Minister Papaliitele Niko Lee Hang.

Papaliitele said she is a revered catalyst in raising public awareness against the dreaded disease.

The former beauty queen wrote a column in the Samoa Observer newspaper earlier this month in support of cancer awareness where she also told of her grandmother who died of breast cancer.

The march organiser, the Samoa Cancer Society, was singled out by the acting prime minister for its work and he gave the agency an assurance of governmental support.