Betty Ford: Bearing The Pink Ribbon
Former first lady Betty Ford was one of the first high-profile American women to publicly discuss her mastectomy 26 years ago. With her husband, Mrs. Ford, 82, is receiving the Thurgood Marshall Award for Lifetime Achievement this week in New York. She joins The Early Show Friday to talk about her struggles with breast cancer and with substance addiction.
Mrs. Ford has gained legions of admirers for the candor with which she faced her breast cancer and chemical addiction and for her support of breast cancer research and education. As a 26-year breast cancer survivor, Mrs. Ford gives women hope that if diagnosed early, they, too, can survive.
Fast Facts About Betty Ford
Mrs. Ford studied modern dance at Bennington College with Martha Graham, and attended the Graham School in New York City. The friendship lasted until Graham's death in 1991.
In 1974, just two months after her husband was sworn in as president, Mrs. Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a radical mastectomy.
In 1982, she founded the Betty Ford Center for alcohol and substance abuse treatment in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Since confronting her own problems with chemical addiction, Mrs. Ford's Center has helped thousands of people deal with the same problems. About 39,000 patients have passed through its doors - two-thirds of whom have remained sober after treatment.
In October 1999, the Fords jointly received a Congressional Gold Medal at the U.S. Capitol.
Gerald and Betty Ford have four children: Michael, 50 and associate dean at Wake Forest University; Jack, 48, a businessman; Steven, 43, an actor; and Susan Ford Bales, 42, a board member at the Betty Ford Center.
The Fords have homes in Rancho Mirage and Beaver Creek, Colorado.
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