Sentara launches two 3D mobile mammography vans thanks to generous donors

"Early detection saves lives.”

These words symbolize hope, especially when they’re written across a 3D mobile mammography van.

When Sentara launched its 3D mobile mammography van in Hampton Roads, Virginia in 2023, it brought state-of-the-art breast cancer screening to underserved communities. 

In its first year, the van screened 2,600 women, which led to 20 breast cancer diagnoses. 

However, the demand became overwhelming, and by February 2024 the van was fully booked for the rest of the calendar year. As a result, the Sentara Foundation launched a $1.1 million campaign to raise money for two additional mobile mammography vans. 

“We would not have been able to obtain these vans within our operational budget. It is only through the donations of grateful patients that we are now able to offer an additional 4,000 mammograms to the community,” said David Proffitt, director of the Sentara Foundation. “These vans will service all the way from Williamsburg to northeast North Carolina.”

One of the most powerful supporters of this initiative is Cheryl McLeskey, whose personal journey with breast cancer began in a way that felt almost prophetic.

“In 2015, I painted my boat pink, it was called the ‘Captain Cheryl’, and I donated it to different charities for breast cancer awareness,” said McLeskey, a prominent realtor in Hampton Roads and donor of the third mobile mammography van. “I also painted my house light pink and the front door hot pink. I just had a passion for supporting women with breast cancer.”

McLeskey became a strong advocate and philanthropist in the cancer community after her husband of 20 years, Wayne McLeskey, passed away from lymphoma of the small intestine on January 6, 2012.

It turns out the pink paint was God’s way of preparing her for breast cancer, said McLeskey. 

On January 6, 2017, exactly five years after Wayne passed away, McLeskey was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. 

“The first thing I thought was, ‘Wayne, no I’m not ready to go,’ and then the journey began,” said McLeskey, who had 42 lymph nodes removed, 12 of which were found to be malignant after she completed chemotherapy. 

Left to right: Arkeisha Smith, patient experience consultant at Sentara Brock Cancer Center; McLeskey; and Proffitt stand in front of the McLeskey 3D mobile mammography van.

“There’s a lot of women that are fearful of mammograms and so they just don’t go,” said McLeskey, who recently toured the newest Sentara 3D mobile mammography van. “The mammography van is a blessing on wheels; it exudes joy and life and personally I think women will feel comfortable here.”

The two other vans were generously donated by Joan Brock and the Obici Healthcare Foundation. Thanks to these generous donors and many others, Sentara’s Hampton Roads mobile mammography van fleet is now three strong and able to provide more than 6,000 mammograms to women who may not otherwise have had access. 

In addition to these three vans, Sentara has two other 3D mobile mammography vans serving Northern Virginia and the Harrisonburg region.

“The highest calling one can have is to be of service to others and to be generous. I feel really blessed to be able to do that,” said McLeskey.

To learn more about 3D mobile mammograms or schedule an appointment, click here.