First lady Jill Biden and singer Mary J. Blige – both of whom have had sorrowful experiences with cancer – came together with cancer survivors and oncology experts Monday for a White House roundtable to highlight the Biden administration’s “moonshot” effort to reduce deaths from cancer.
It got emotional.
Blige, who’s become an advocate for cancer screening, talked about how cancer has affected her family, choking up at one point.
“So I’m convinced that if all my aunts, godmothers and grandparents had seen campaigns like this,” she began, before pausing to take a breath and say, “Oh God.”
“They would have a different outcome today,” she finished.
Blige said she’s dedicated time to increasing awareness of the importance of preventative screenings, “reminding people that their health is your wealth and urging them to make it a priority,” according to the pool report.
After her remarks Blige took her seat on stage next to Biden, who reached over and held her hand while American Cancer Society CEO Karen Knudsen spoke.
“Mary, thank you for lending your powerful voice to this cause,” Biden told Blige.
Biden hosted the event in the State Dining Room as part of the administration’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, which includes helping launch the American Cancer Society’s series of national roundtables on breast and cervical cancer.
The roundtables are intended to bring together oncology leaders and other experts to help improve the lives of people living with cancer and support their families, according to the White House.
About 100 guests attended the White House event, many of them women wearing pink in all shades from pale to shockingly bright.
“The Cancer Moonshot is about a future where we don’t have to be afraid of cancer anymore. And today, we are coming together to make that future real,” Biden said in her prepared remarks. “None of us can beat cancer alone, and it will take all of us putting patients and their loved ones at the center of their own cancer journey, from screenings to survivorship.”
The first lady’s family and friends have been shattered by cancer, including son Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015. She has talked about how four of her friends were diagnosed with breast cancer in one year in the early 1990s. Three survived; the one who did not inspired her to take up the cause of cancer prevention and education, she has said.
