From Personal Fear to Public Purpose: Cheerleaders Champion Early Detection
Fear often arrives quietly, weaving itself into the fabric of life in unexpected moments. For Julissa Garcia, a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, that moment came early, at just 14 years old, when her mother's routine doctor visit irrevocably changed their family's world. The memory remains vivid, not as a source of panic, but as a catalyst for profound purpose.
Today, Garcia channels that deeply personal experience into a vital public health message, one that many women unfortunately delay hearing until it is tragically too late. Alongside her teammates, she is transforming personal history into powerful public action. Their collective goal is both simple and critically urgent: to reframe early breast cancer detection as an empowering act of self-care rather than a frightening prospect, and to normalize conversations about mammograms, making them routine rather than avoidable.
A Partnership for Prevention: "Your Attention, Please"
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have joined forces with pharmaceutical company Novartis for the impactful "Your Attention, Please" campaign. This initiative is dedicated to encouraging women to thoroughly understand their individual breast cancer risk and to take recommended screening schedules with the utmost seriousness. For Julissa Garcia, this cause resonates on the most intimate level.
"I was very scared and frightened," Garcia recalls, her voice reflecting the weight of memory. "My mom is my best friend. She is my biggest supporter, my number one cheerleader."
Her mother, Christina Garcia, made the fateful decision to skip a single annual mammogram at the age of 43. Merely one year later, during a subsequent check-up, doctors discovered a lump. She received a diagnosis of stage 1 breast cancer at 44. "That one year that she didn't go get to her screenings truly changed her life and it changed my life," Garcia states emphatically. "Now her journey has inspired me to prioritize regular self-checks, my overall health and staying on top of my breast health."
Lessons in Resilience and the Urgency of Screening
Garcia holds a poignant memory of watching her mother endure the grueling regimens of chemotherapy and radiation with remarkable, quiet strength. "I remember seeing her constantly have to show up and fight every single day at every single doctor's appointment," she says. "It was very challenging for us as a family. I thank the Lord every day that I still have with her and every moment that I still get to be with her."
Fellow Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Trinity Miles carries a similarly powerful lesson from her own family. Her cousin, Annmarie, was diagnosed with breast cancer at 40, just days after undergoing her very first mammogram. "When she was first diagnosed, the speed at which everything happened was overwhelming," Miles recounts. "She has taught me so much about resilience, vulnerability, and bravery."
Now cancer-free, Annmarie's story powerfully reinforces the campaign's shared, urgent message: screening cannot and should not wait. "What her story has taught me is that cancer doesn't always wait until the recommended screening checks," Miles explains, highlighting the unpredictable nature of the disease.
The Unwavering Message: Don't Wait
For Julissa Garcia, who is now marking a full decade since her mother was declared cancer-free, the message is unequivocal and plain. "I think the biggest message is: Don't wait," she asserts. "Early detection can make all the difference in the world. I want people to feel empowered, not afraid, because awareness leads to action and action can save lives."
Through their advocacy, these cheerleaders are leveraging their platform to shift the narrative around breast health. They aim to dismantle fear and procrastination, replacing them with knowledge, proactive habits, and the understanding that personal stories of survival are the most compelling arguments for early and regular screening.
