Dr. Rashid Abdu to speak at Pink Ribbon Tea

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SPECIAL TO THE VINDICATOR Final preparations are being made for the Junior League of Youngstown’s 22nd annual Pink Ribbon Tea at noon Aug. 22 at Stambaugh Auditorium in Youngstown by Gina Marinelli, left, of Mercy Health Foundation of the Mahoning Valley; Barbara Banks, JLY event chairperson; Dr. Rashid Abdu, founder of the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center and keynote speaker; and Pat Green, JLY event chairperson.

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Junior League of Youngstown will host its 22nd annual Pink Ribbon Tea at noon Aug. 22 at Stambaugh Auditorium, 1000 Fifth Ave.

Dr. Rashid Abdu, founder of the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center and advocate for women with breast cancer, will be keynote speaker at the event and will serve as an honorary chairperson.

Dr. Abdu is a retired surgeon, emeritus director of surgical education at St. Elizabeth Health Center and professor emeritus of surgery at Northeast Ohio Medical University.

Abdu came to the United States from Yemen in 1948, pursued medicine and became a surgeon at St. Elizabeth Health Care Center. Dr. Abdu’s wife, Joanie, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993. She endured appointments, tests and traveling between multiple facilities for care and long delays between diagnosis and prognosis. Dr. Abdu advocated for his wife and sought out treatments unavailable at local hospitals. Joanie Abdu died from the disease June 2, 1994.

In 2011, Dr. Abdu and Humility of Mary Health Partners, now Mercy Health Youngstown, cut the ribbon for the construction of the $8 million Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, offering local women advanced breast cancer care.

Dr. Abdu also volunteers at the St. Elizabeth wound care center and participates in national and international medical missions. He is a photographer and tutors children at Youngstown City Schools. He has four children and three grandchildren, and resides in Canfield.

Women with breast cancer will be offered free admission at the event with reservations; for information or to register, call 330-743-3200 by Friday. Donations also are welcome to cover the cost of the meal for the breast cancer survivors.

The Junior League of Youngstown is an educational and charitable organization of women that promote volunteerism, developing potential of women, and improving communities through action and leadership of trained volunteers. It was established in 1932 and is a member of The Association of Junior Leagues International.