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To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we are pulling back the curtain on the highs and lows of navigating the breast cancer experience with a special Instagram Live event.
Dr. Amelie Ramirez, the director of UT Health San Antonio’s Institute for Health Promotion Research and leader of Salud America!, is leading a discussion between Susan G. Komen patient navigator Marcela Orozco and Deborah Blake-Ontiveros, a two-time breast cancer survivor and Latina patient advocate.
In partnership with Susan G. Komen, “Navigating the Trials & Triumphs of Breast Cancer,” covers topics such as the importance of patient navigation, clinical trials, advocacy, and finding bilingual resources.
Watch on Instagram Live on Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day, Oct. 13, 2026, at 1 p.m. Central Time.
Can’t watch live? A recording of the Instagram Live event will be available on the Komen H.E.R. and Salud America! Instagram accounts.
WHAT: An Instagram Live event focusing on breast cancer and patient navigation
WHERE: Watch on Instagram Live on the accounts of Salud America!, Susan G. Komen H.E.R., and Deborah Blake-Ontiveros
WHEN: Live on Oct. 13, 2026, at 1 p.m. Central Time
WHO: Amelie Ramirez, DrPH, director of Salud America! and leader of the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio and leader of community outreach and engagement at the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio; Marcela Orozco, bilingual patient navigator at Susan G. Komen; Deborah Blake-Ontiveros, a two-time breast cancer survivor and Latina patient advocate
Learn about the Speakers for this Instagram Live on Navigating Breast Cancer
This Instagram Live discussion will be moderated by Dr. Amelie Ramirez.
Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH (moderator), an internationally recognized researcher in health promotion and behavioral change, is director of Salud America! and leader of the Institute for Health Promotion Research in the Department of Population Health Sciences at UT Health San Antonio. She has spent over 30 years directing research on human and organizational communication to reduce chronic disease and cancer among all people, including cancer risk factors, clinical trial recruitment, tobacco prevention, and obesity prevention. She also is associate director of cancer outreach and engagement at the NCI-designated Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio.
Marcela Orozco is a bilingual patient navigator at Susan G. Komen, where she supports breast cancer patients throughout their care journey. She provides guidance, education, and access to resources to help individuals navigate complex healthcare systems and receive timely, quality care. Committed to improving patient outcomes, Marcela works to reduce barriers and promote equitable access to breast health services for all individuals affected by breast cancer.
Deborah Blake-Ontiveros is a California native living in Cedar City, Utah, who has been navigating metastatic breast cancer since 2018 and received a second breast cancer diagnosis in 2023, yet remains defined not by her illness but by her unwavering purpose and advocacy. As a Latina patient advocate, mother, interpreter, translator, and writer, she has served organizations like Living Beyond Breast Cancer, For the Breast of Us, and Project Life MBC, where she mentors others with metastatic disease and champions health improvement for Latinas and all women in the breast cancer community. Through her work centered on mental health, survivorship, and domestic abuse awareness, Deb blends honesty, humor, Spanglish, and spiritual reflection to uplift patient voices and reclaim narratives, all while showing up daily as a devoted mother and fierce protector of her daughter with courage, truth, and corazón.
Breast Cancer Resources
This Instagram Live event will focus on finding resources and clinical trials for breast cancer through Susan G. Komen and other organizations.
Komen’s Patient Care Center offers health information, services, and resources for patients, caregivers, and family members.
Resources include education, emotional support, screening and diagnostics, financial assistance, and more.
These resources can also be accessed through one of Komen’s patient navigators, who can help explore some of these resources and discuss clinical trial options.
Learn more about Komen’s Patient Care Center by visiting their website and for more assistance call their bilingual Helpline at 1-877-465-6636 or email helpline@komen.org.
For more information about clinical trials, look to Salud America!’s clinical trial page to find a research opportunity or learn from role models who have participated in a trial.
Those looking for opportunities based in San Antonio can search the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio’s Find a Clinical Trial database to learn more about available clinical trials and eligibility requirements. Learn more about community outreach and engagement, too.
On a national level, visit clinicaltrials.gov to find a clinical trial near you.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CLINICAL TRIALS!
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