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The students at Lauralton Hall in Milford sing, “God gave you these gifts, you should give them a test, to make sure they remain at their very best, because you’re blessed to have breasts.”
Elizabeth Garfield of Milford and Milly Koch of Trumbull are both 15.
“We wanted the song and video to be funny so that kids would be interested and pay attention,” said Koch. “We certainly got a lot of attention when we were filming the video and holding up fruits like melons and oranges to our chests at the grocery store!”
Garfield explained their dedication to the message. “Many girls at our school know someone who has fought breast cancer,” said Garfield. “It’s personal to me because my grandmother is a breast cancer survivor.”
They are comfortable with the subject of breast self-exams since it has always been a part of their health class at the all-girls Catholic school. Several years ago, the school incorporated the Get In Touch Foundation’s instructional step-by-step Daisy Wheel into their curriculum. The program specifically targets girls in grades 5 through 12, but encourages men and women of all ages to be familiar with breast self-exams to detect abnormalities.
The girls hope the video will be used by other schools as part of the new Connecticut law requiring that all students receive age and developmentally appropriate instruction in performing self-examinations for breast cancer and testicular cancer.
Research has shown that students who receive this kind of instruction have a much better understanding of their personal health and cancer risks.
The video can be seen on YouTube by clicking here.
Lauralton Hall was founded in 1905 by the Sisters of Mercy. It is the first independent Catholic college-prep school for young women in Connecticut and is attended by more than 470 students from over 40 Connecticut towns. For more information, click here.
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