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Claiming Power Over Breast Cancer

October brings a sea of pink to billboards, t-shirts, stores and even the NFL. Talking about every aspect of breast cancer during a designated awareness month is impossible. Patients and health providers say each person's journey is unique. A common thread does exist among these individual stories: a tenacious fight against allowing cancer any control.

The women featured here refuse to relinquish their dignity, their decisions, and their lives to a devastating disease - and each manifests this perseverance in a different way.

SDPB's Kealey Bultena introduces Dakota Midday host Lori Walsh to six different women who all play roles in physical, mental, and emotional battle against breast cancer. Their photos are in the slideshow above, and you hear them in the following order:

Del Lomheim, Avera wig consultant
Karla Tuttle, breast cancer patient
Gloria Top, Sanford Health nurse navigator
Leah Rollag, breast cancer patient
Lu Rice, breast cancer survivor
Dr. Juliann Reiland, breast surgeon

Kealey Bultena grew up in South Dakota, where her grandparents took advantage of the state’s agriculture at nap time, tricking her into car rides to “go see cows.” Rarely did she stay awake long enough to see the livestock, but now she writes stories about the animals – and the legislature and education and much more. Kealey worked in television for four years while attending the University of South Dakota. She started interning with South Dakota Public Broadcasting in September 2010 and accepted a position with television in 2011. Now Kealey is the radio news producer stationed in Sioux Falls. As a multi-media journalist, Kealey prides herself on the diversity of the stories she tells and the impact her work has on people across the state. Kealey is always searching for new ideas. Let her know of a great story! Find her on Facebook and twitter (@KealeySDPB).
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