ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – First responders in Orlando and Orange County have unveiled newly wrapped pink service vehicles to help raise breast cancer awareness.
Orange County Fire Rescue, the Orlando Fire Department and the Orlando Police Department teamed up with Orlando Health as two fire engines, two ambulances and a patrol vehicle were revealed Friday.
"We just want to keep reminding people that early detection is so important," Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs said. "For those people who already have breast cancer, we want to remind them that there's hope."
Breast cancer survivor Peggy Sue Munday was a guest speaker at the event. Munday's mother was 61 when she died of breast cancer and her sister passed away from the disease at the age of 21.
"It just knocks the wind right out of your sails," Munday said. "I didn't have any cancer survivors. Everyone I knew that had cancer had died."
Munday said the encouragement of her family and the medical staff at Orlando Health is what helped her persevere.
"Just knowing that I have their support was so, so comforting," Munday said.
According to breastcancer.org, an estimated 266,120 cases of breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in women in the U.S. in 2018. It's estimated that 40,920 women will die of the disease this year.
With staggering numbers like that, Munday said she and every survivor treat every day as a gift and she hopes the pink emergency vehicles will deliver the message that early detection is key.
"You have to be diligent about your own health and your own body and if something doesn't seem right, you need to get to the doctor," Munday said.
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Officials said the five emergency vehicles will be in service throughout Orlando and Orange County through the end of October.