#8 – First Lady Betty Ford’s Breast Cancer

September 26 – 28, 1974

During a routine medical examination, First Lady Betty Ford is diagnosed with breast cancer. President Gerald R. Ford stands strong by his beloved wife as she courageously and openly battles the deadly disease. Mrs. Ford says, “Lying in the hospital, thinking of all those women going for cancer checkups because of me, I’d come to recognize more clearly the power of the woman in the White House. Not my power, but the power of the position, a power which could be used to help.” The national coverage of Mrs. Ford’s public recovery lead to greater awareness and research that saved thousands of lives.

First Lady Betty Ford’s Breast Cancer