The event took place in the White House flower garden and while Mrs. Obama was the one instigating it, she brought on a little help in the form of Joni Lownsdale, who talked about her diagnosis of breast cancer. At first, the event would appear to be an attempt to do something for breast cancer awareness month, but from there, Lownsdale began to talk about her difficulties since being pronounced cancer-free. As a young woman who has had cancer, her chances of getting health insurance are virtually nil.
At the moment, Lownsdale pays $600 a month for her insurance. She's considered too high risk for most insurance companies since she has had cancer in the past, despite it being Stage One and rapidly resolved.
"I will most likely be cancer free for the rest of my life, but having the word 'cancer' written on my medical chart is enough to generate an automatic rejection from insurance coverage," Lownsdale said earlier today. And she's not the only one facing this issue. Thousands of women are being rejected for coverage because they have cancer in their past and it doesn't matter if you were diagnosed thirty years ago, chances are you'll be turned down.
Breast cancer is a serious subject and one that can never get enough coverage. When someone like Michelle Obama covers the topic and publicizes it even more, people listen. That being said, however, some people are offended that breast cancer would be used to promote the healthcare reform issue that is so controversial throughout the country. Does Obama have a point? Should she have turned this garden party into a promotion of her husband's campaign? While history will tell us that a good first wife will always back her man, this may be a case of going too far and it can only spark more controversy.
The CDC is well-represented by Porter Novelli on specific breast cancer initiatives. PN also works for the Hoag Breast cancer clinic.PR News
By Editorial Team2 min read
Michelle Obama Boosts Breast Cancer Awareness and Promote Healthcare Reform
By Editorial Team2 min read
The event took place in the White House flower garden and while Mrs. Obama was the one instigating it, she brought on a little help in the form of Joni Lownsdale, who talked about her diagnosis of breast cancer. At first, the event would appear to be an attempt to do something for breast cancer awareness month, but from there, Lownsdale began to talk about her difficulties since being pronounced cancer-free. As a young woman who has had cancer, her chances of getting health insurance are virtually nil.
At the moment, Lownsdale pays $600 a month for her insurance. She's considered too high risk for most insurance companies since she has had cancer in the past, despite it being Stage One and rapidly resolved.
"I will most likely be cancer free for the rest of my life, but having the word 'cancer' written on my medical chart is enough to generate an automatic rejection from insurance coverage," Lownsdale said earlier today. And she's not the only one facing this issue. Thousands of women are being rejected for coverage because they have cancer in their past and it doesn't matter if you were diagnosed thirty years ago, chances are you'll be turned down.
Breast cancer is a serious subject and one that can never get enough coverage. When someone like Michelle Obama covers the topic and publicizes it even more, people listen. That being said, however, some people are offended that breast cancer would be used to promote the healthcare reform issue that is so controversial throughout the country. Does Obama have a point? Should she have turned this garden party into a promotion of her husband's campaign? While history will tell us that a good first wife will always back her man, this may be a case of going too far and it can only spark more controversy.
The CDC is well-represented by Porter Novelli on specific breast cancer initiatives. PN also works for the Hoag Breast cancer clinic.Written by
Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces reporting, research, and analysis across thirty verticals — communications, reputation, AI visibility, public affairs, media systems, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era. Publishing since 2009.
Other news
See all
Ronn Torossian · 05/22/2026
Letter From The Publisher: Becoming the Answer.
Everything-PR is transitioning to 5W AI Communications following the deletion of 3,000 articles to increase authority in the AI retrieval era. Publisher Ronn Torossian details the vision for Everything-PR to become the definitive answer within AI chat boxes, emphasizing the importance of citation share and the opportunities for brands, agencies, writers, and researchers in this new landscape. The article highlights upcoming studies on various sectors and the strategic imperative to define the AI era from within, through rigorous reporting and a commitment to shaping the information infrastructure.
Seth Semilof · 05/22/2026
Three Architecture Firms Just Showed Every Luxury Services Industry What "AI Visibility" Actually Means
Leading architecture firms demonstrate what "AI Visibility" truly means for luxury services. Learn how they leverage principals as entities, long-form content, and integrated practice for superior search engine retrieval.
Editorial Team · 05/22/2026
Which media outlets the AI engines actually trust
A category-by-category audit of who LLMs cite when they answer questions about your industry. Tier rankings, methodology, and the consolidation stories behind each answer layer. New issue every two weeks.
Never Miss a Headline
Daily PR headlines, weekly long-form analysis, and our proprietary research drops — straight to your inbox.