Stepping Up To Share, Support

At Girls’ Night Out, local women speak out on range of health situations that can affect every woman
 FREMONT – Depression. Menopause. Breast cancer. Incontinence. Cigarette addiction. A heart disease.
These are just some of the health conditions that can – and in the case of menopause, will – affect women.
 On Thursday, Nov. 2, local women from the community will share their individual health journeys, their challenges, their hopes and ultimately their path toward healing in brief 5-minute onstage talks that are the feature of Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial’s annual Girls’ Night Out. The event begins at 6 p.m. at the Dogwood Center for the Performing Arts in Fremont.

• Danielle McCabe-Arbogast, a teacher in Hesperia, will discuss her battle with post-partum depression.
• Ethel Lobrigas, a physical therapist from Fremont, will discuss how pelvic health affected her life.
• Michelle Pekel, a hospice nurse from Fremont, will talk about quitting cigarette addiction.
• Lisa Soueidan, a mammogram tech from Fremont, will talk about confronting breast cancer in her early 40s.
• Cindy Warren of Holton will share her experience with menopause.
• Julie Weiss of Fremont will discuss her encounter with heart disease.

The event will also feature free screenings that correspond to the topics being discussed.
“These are just some of the health situations that women will likely encounter at some point in their lives,” said Meleah Mariani, Gerber Memorial Chief Nursing Officer and moderator of the event. “We’re so grateful to these brave women for stepping up to share their stories, which isn’t always an easy thing to do. Their stories all have a few things in common, and that’s women don’t have to go through their challenges alone, that we all have strength in the face of adversity, and that knowledge and information is the best way to begin our journeys of hope and healing.”
Joni Erlewein, RN, will also speak about how to mobilize body, mind and spirit through mindfulness in the face of a health challenge, and share other tips that will be helpful to women. A nurse practitioner and women’s health expert, Erlewein also works at the Cancer Center at Gerber Memorial, walking women through their cancer journeys as a nurse navigator. ..
The free event is open to the public from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Gerber Memorial invites the community to attend the event, which will feature free screenings, useful information about health and wellness for the family, free nutritious appetizers, and fun activities.  Attendees will get the chance to win door prizes that include a Vitamix blender and other items, and receive Yeti-inspired tumblers as free giveaways at the door.
Health professionals will be on hand at Girls’ Night Out to provide the following:

• Free screenings for perinatal mood disorder, anxiety and depression disorder
• Free blood pressure checks, pulse checks for irregular heartbeats and stroke screening
• Scheduling mammograms at Gerber Memorial

The Skincare Center and Spa will also offer make-up demonstrations.