10/23/2023
DIANE'S SHERO OF THE DAY🎗: IRENE WHITE MASON🕊
Irene Anita White Mason was born on September 15, 1955 to the late Benjamin and Elsie White. A twin, she was the eighth of eleven children. Irene married her high school sweetheart Ricky Mason, Sr. (the love of her life); they had five children, who she adored. Irene graduated from Calvert Senior High School as a certified cosmetologist and often operated out of her home. If you were ever privileged to be in her chair around dinner time, you know when Ricky came in she would kindly excuse herself, stop what she was doing to fix him a plate before continuing to do your hair. Irene loved God and chose the Church of God in Lothian, Maryland as her place of worship. There she participated in various groups, including a choir that she founded with her friend Vanessa Willet. Irene had a contagious smile and spread her love to everyone. She especially enjoyed spending quality time with her sisters, and outings with her close friends Vanessa Willet and Roxanne Hawkins. She was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 31, while she was breastfeeding her youngest child. Four out of her five children, were under the age of six when she died from the disease at 33. Since then, the survival rate for cancer is so much better; 5-year survival is around 90% . I urge each of you to do self breast exams every month, get a mammogram yearly and consult with primary care doctor yearly. Irene is gone, but never forgotten. She is an important reminder for us to take our health seriously, and to love unconditionally.
Diane's Plea for the Cancer Cure foundation will be honoring Ms. White-Mason as well as all "Sheros of the Day" at the Gala on Saturday, October 19, 2019 at North Beach Fire Department - Bayview Hall in Chesapeake MD, 20732 at 3:00PM. To purchase tickets please feel free to inbox.