Cancer Patients

WEST BURBANK — Marla Zack lost her mother, stepmother, aunt and several friends to breast cancer, but when she was diagnosed with the illness two years ago, she knew she was going to be different. She was going to survive. Now Zack, a 45-year-old who had to give up her job as the production supervisor on "America's Got Talent" to concentrate on her treatment and recovery, is working hard to raise awareness of the disease and money for cancer charities in the process.

Rep. Brad Sherman, whose district includes part of Burbank, pressed for strict economic sanctions on Tuesday if Iran refuses to meet an Aug. 31 deadline for suspending its nuclear enrichment program. It is clear that the Iranian government has no intention of suspending enrichment by Aug. 31, as required by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1696, Sherman said. Sherman, a Democrat, is a senior member of the International Relations Committee and a member of the Terrorism and Nonproliferation Subcommittee.

Teen Scene offers fun Fridays MAGNOLIA PARK -- Burbank students can meet friends at Verdugo Recreation Center's ongoing Teen Scene Friday Nights, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The program, sponsored by the city's Park, Recreation and Community Services Department, is open to students 10 to 15. The children meet in the center's gym to participate in crafts, sports, cooking and games, including volleyball, indoor baseball,...

The Valley Porcelain Artists Club will meet from 10 a.m. to noon Friday at the Joslyn Adult Center, 1301 W. Olive Ave., Burbank. Artist Bettyann Craig will demonstrate how to paint pinecones. She got her first introduction to porcelain painting from her step-grandmother Ruth Martin, who paid for her first month of lessons. Her first teacher was Ruth Ebel. Craig has been painting for 16 years. She has won ribbons in the Antelope Valley and Los Angeles county fairs. She has been a board member for 14 years.

GAINS BLOOD TIES If there were a national donor hall of fame, Karen Lilly would surely be a charter member. A week ago, on the eve of her wedding to L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy Andy Zahorecz, Lilly, a 25-year veteran nurse at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, donated platelets for an astounding 104th time. The number would be even higher but Lilly had to stop donating for a while because she was building up too much scar tissue. Less taxing on the body than giving blood, donating platelets -- which are essential for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and those recovering from surgery -- is equally important.

SUNDAY Celebrate the holiday season with a "Reindeer Romp" from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Eucalyptus Grove at the Los Angeles Zoo, 5333 Zoo Drive in Griffith Park. Admission is $8.25 for adults and $3.25 for children ages 2-12. For information, call (323) 644-6400. A "get fit" nature hike for beginners will start at 1 p.m. in front of the kiosk at Wildwood Canyon Park, on Harvard Road above Sunset Canyon Drive. The hike will last for about an hour and a half and is free of charge.

When women step into Dr. Deanna Attai’s office, they’re often nervous about the diagnoses of their breast tumors. While many women who have tumors and are treated by the breast surgeon are diagnosed with breast cancer, many tumors are benign. More than 500,000 women in the U.S., usually between the ages of 15 and 30, undergo surgery yearly for fibroadenoma, benign breast tumors or lesions that afflict 10% of women in the U.S. “This is the dark shadow of breast surgery,” Attai said.

Lineage Dance’s upbeat and joyful routines at the Lineage Live benefit Sunday at the Alex Theatre were offset by the poignant and heart-wrenching stories of cancer survivors. The dance benefit, which organizers said pulled in more than $10,000, was the creation of Dena Cali, founder of The Foundation for Living Beauty; Lineage Dance creator Hilary Thomas; several musicians who provided live accompaniment for the dances; and six women, called Living Beauties by foundation officials, who told about their battle with cancer.

Dressed in a pink sweat suit and shrieking happily, 1-year-old Lily Ann O'Sullivan presided over a cascade of cut pony tails on Tuesday. As she sat in the lobby of Blondi's Hair Salon in Burbank, Lily Ann was scarcely aware that all the cut hair was in her honor; the young cancer patient was just happy to be out and about. "I thought this was the best gift," said Heather O'Sullivan, Lily Ann's mother. Three Burbank girls, Madigan Roll, Suzie Miller, and Samantha Edwards, all 8-years-old, cut off their tresses to donate to Locks of Love, an organization that provides wigs to young cancer patients who have lost their hair.