Harry Chapin Food Bank to hold emergency food distributions Harry Chapin Food Bank is holding emergency food distributions on Friday and Saturday following Hurricane Milton. When Milton made landfall Wednesday, communities across Southwest Florida were affected by wind, storm surge, tornadoes and flooding. Now Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties are all seeing the devastation. Luckily, the Harry Chapin Food Bank sustained no […]
NORTH PORT North Port police comb the streets after Milton’s mess The North Port Police Department took to the streets on Thursday to clean up around the city after Hurricane Milton.
The Weather Authority Cooler day with isolated showers The Weather Authority is tracking a cooler Friday ahead, with quick isolated showers expected throughout the afternoon.
RSW to resume flights on Friday Due to Hurricane Milton, Southwest Florida International Airport canceled flights on Wednesday and Thursday.
FORT MYERS Suspect sought, two others arrested in alleged Fort Myers burglary One suspect remains at large after the Fort Myers Police Department confirmed a burglary on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Thursday night.
Gasparilla Island Access shut down to Gasparilla Island and Charlotte County community service facilities after storm Charlotte County Emergency Management announced a few updates on closures on Thursday night after Hurricane Milton.
BONITA SPRINGS Curfew enacted on Bonita Beach The City of Bonita Springs has put a curfew in place for Bonita Beach as of Thursday, Oct. 10, while crews work to clear sand and other debris from the streets. Everybody in the Bonita Beach area, including Little Hickory Island and Big Hickory Island, is prohibited from being abroad in vehicles or on foot […]
FORT MYERS BEACH House catches fire on Fort Myers Beach According to authorities, a house caught fire at Fort Myers Beach on Thursday evening.
WINK Exclusive: Surveying the skies with LCSO after Milton The day after Hurricane Milton threatened Southwest Florida, the Lee County sheriff’s office took to the skies to survey the damage left behind. WINK news reporter Liz Biro got an exclusive look at the damage from above on Thursday as she rode along in the LCSO chopper with Sheriff Carmine Marceno.
FORT MYERS BEACH Storm prep eased post-Milton recovery efforts, LCSO says According to Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, residents heeded storm warnings and prepared accordingly, whether that meant stocking up on supplies or evacuating their zone.
NORTH FORT MYERS 7-year-old dead after crash on Gazelle Drive A 7-year-old girl has died after a collision on Gazelle Drive in North Fort Myers.
Charlotte County couple struggling after damage from Milton A Charlotte County couple’s home was damaged by Helene and Hurricane Milton, leaving them struggling to find a comfortable place to sleep.
Tracking Milton: Power outages across SWFL The Lee County Electric Cooperative has reported power outages throughout the area due to the effects of Hurricane Milton.
CAPE CORAL CCFD gives generator safety tips following two house fires Following Hurricane Milton on Wednesday, two house fires in Cape Coral occurred due to improper generator usage.
Sheriff: 39 homes damaged from Milton in Glades County area Hurricane Milton damaged approximately 39 homes in the Twin Palms area in Glades County, according to the Glades County Sheriff’s Office.
Harry Chapin Food Bank to hold emergency food distributions Harry Chapin Food Bank is holding emergency food distributions on Friday and Saturday following Hurricane Milton. When Milton made landfall Wednesday, communities across Southwest Florida were affected by wind, storm surge, tornadoes and flooding. Now Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties are all seeing the devastation. Luckily, the Harry Chapin Food Bank sustained no […]
NORTH PORT North Port police comb the streets after Milton’s mess The North Port Police Department took to the streets on Thursday to clean up around the city after Hurricane Milton.
The Weather Authority Cooler day with isolated showers The Weather Authority is tracking a cooler Friday ahead, with quick isolated showers expected throughout the afternoon.
RSW to resume flights on Friday Due to Hurricane Milton, Southwest Florida International Airport canceled flights on Wednesday and Thursday.
FORT MYERS Suspect sought, two others arrested in alleged Fort Myers burglary One suspect remains at large after the Fort Myers Police Department confirmed a burglary on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Thursday night.
Gasparilla Island Access shut down to Gasparilla Island and Charlotte County community service facilities after storm Charlotte County Emergency Management announced a few updates on closures on Thursday night after Hurricane Milton.
BONITA SPRINGS Curfew enacted on Bonita Beach The City of Bonita Springs has put a curfew in place for Bonita Beach as of Thursday, Oct. 10, while crews work to clear sand and other debris from the streets. Everybody in the Bonita Beach area, including Little Hickory Island and Big Hickory Island, is prohibited from being abroad in vehicles or on foot […]
FORT MYERS BEACH House catches fire on Fort Myers Beach According to authorities, a house caught fire at Fort Myers Beach on Thursday evening.
WINK Exclusive: Surveying the skies with LCSO after Milton The day after Hurricane Milton threatened Southwest Florida, the Lee County sheriff’s office took to the skies to survey the damage left behind. WINK news reporter Liz Biro got an exclusive look at the damage from above on Thursday as she rode along in the LCSO chopper with Sheriff Carmine Marceno.
FORT MYERS BEACH Storm prep eased post-Milton recovery efforts, LCSO says According to Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno, residents heeded storm warnings and prepared accordingly, whether that meant stocking up on supplies or evacuating their zone.
NORTH FORT MYERS 7-year-old dead after crash on Gazelle Drive A 7-year-old girl has died after a collision on Gazelle Drive in North Fort Myers.
Charlotte County couple struggling after damage from Milton A Charlotte County couple’s home was damaged by Helene and Hurricane Milton, leaving them struggling to find a comfortable place to sleep.
Tracking Milton: Power outages across SWFL The Lee County Electric Cooperative has reported power outages throughout the area due to the effects of Hurricane Milton.
CAPE CORAL CCFD gives generator safety tips following two house fires Following Hurricane Milton on Wednesday, two house fires in Cape Coral occurred due to improper generator usage.
Sheriff: 39 homes damaged from Milton in Glades County area Hurricane Milton damaged approximately 39 homes in the Twin Palms area in Glades County, according to the Glades County Sheriff’s Office.
Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States for Black and Hispanic women. One Cape Coral survivor is striving to make sure other survivors have the support they need once their intense treatments are done. Astrid Shover describes herself as a mom, a wife, a woman of God, a business owner, and a leader in the community. She never thought she’d begin her breast cancer journey back in 2018 and add “breast cancer survivor” to that list. “At first, I felt fine. I was healthy. I was running a business. I had two small kids. My husband was in law enforcement. Cancer was the furthest thing from my mind,” Shover recalled. “I got out of the shower one evening and found a [pea-sized] lump. It didn’t hurt.” Breast cancer survivor Astrid Shover discusses racial and ethnic disparities in breast cancer treatment, CREDIT: WINK News At the time, Shover was a personal trainer. A client who happened to be a breast cancer survivor was coming in. Shover asked her, “what did breast cancer feel like to you? What were your symptoms?” Her client encouraged her to make a doctor’s appointment as soon as possible. She was able to get into her OBGYN about two months later where her doctor confirmed the pea-sized lump. On August 13, 2018, she got the call no one wants to get. “‘Your biopsy turned out to be cancer.’ Very cold. And from that moment, I just crumbled. I fell to the ground crying. My husband was there to support me. I had two choices: I could let this defeat me or I could lean on my faith and say ‘I’m going to get through this.’ That’s exactly what I did.” Shover preparing breast cancer treatment According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer incidences are higher in White women, followed closely by Black women. Yet, Black women are 40 percent more likely to die from the disease compared to White women. Black women are also more likely to be diagnosed at younger ages but at later stages with more aggressive types of breast cancer. “[That pea-sized lump] turned out to be four masses,” Shover said. “I was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. It was a lobular carcinoma, which is a very aggressive form of breast cancer.” According to the Mayo Clinic, invasive lobular carcinoma begins in the milk-producing glands, or lobules, and has the potential to spread to the lymph nodes and other areas of the body. But why are the odds stacked against so many Black women? The American Cancer Society lists a number of reasons: Less access to high quality health care across the breast cancer spectrum, from prevention to treatment. Black women are more likely to be screened at lower resourced and non-accredited facilities. Black women are more likely to go longer between mammograms and between abnormal results and follow-ups. The organization blames systemic racism and its impacts on health and health insurance coverage for those reasons. “Make sure that your health and your concerns are taken seriously,” added Shover. “I had surgery three weeks ago to remove a lymph node. The first doctor passed me over and said that she didn’t think it was breast cancer.” After a double mastectomy and months of chemotherapy, Shover went from breast cancer patient to breast cancer survivor, advocate and recently, non-profit founder. Astrid Shover “I didn’t find or know of any non-profit that really spoke to survivorship, especially for younger women,” Shover said. “I figured if I can’t find it and it doesn’t exist, why not create it?” She started Pink DIVAS United, Inc. DIVAS stands for Diverse Inspiring Victorious Amazing Survivors. The organization’s mission is to empower and uplift all breast cancer survivors, as well as their family members, through education, resources and tools like free mental health coaching to help them thrive once they ring the bell at the end of their treatments. The organization is hosting its first retreat where a number of survivors will gather in Dubai. “To really just have a safe space, have a safe intimate space, to kind of share what someone else is going through, what I’m going through, and be able to resonate with one another as well as heal.” Shover’s journey still isn’t over. She has other breast cancer-related surgeries scheduled this year. “Our hair grows back. We’re done with treatments. We’re done with surgeries. There’s a mask that a lot of us wear that we’re okay when we’re really not. We’re suffering with mental health issues.” Shover said many survivors have ‘scanxiety,’ or the worry their next screening will show a breast cancer recurrence. For patients with types of breast cancer affected by hormones, like estrogen and progesterone, hormone or endocrine therapy is usually taken for at least five years to lower the chance of recurrence, according to the American Cancer Society. Lymphedema is common in women treated for breast cancer as well. The National Institutes of Health describes breast cancer-related lymphedema as a chronic syndrome of abnormal swelling because of lymph fluid accumulation. It’s brought on by an imbalance of lymph fluid production and transport. There is no cure. Breast cancer treatments can also place a significant financial burden on patients and their families. “Survivorship is hard. We need our community to rally behind us. It can’t just be about October,” Shover said. Astrid Shover discusses Pink DIVAS United, CREDIT: WINK News The National Cancer Institute lists a couple of ways to possibly close that race and ethnicity disparity gap, like making cancer screening programs accessible to underserved populations and addressing the biological differences in breast cancer across racial and ethnic groups. Because of significant underrepresentation in clinical trials, there’s now a push to include more Black women to hopefully improve treatments and outcomes. READ MORE: Research shows significant disparities for black women in breast cancer detection & treatment