Breast Cancer in Australian Women

Breast Cancer in Australian Women Breast cancer is most common cancer in Australian women. Breast cancer occurs when the cells lining the breast ducts or lobules grow abnormally and out of control.There are two common broad groups of breast cancers: Pre-invasive: where the cancer cells are still confined to the ducts or lobules of the breast.Invasive: this means the cancer has spread outside the ducts or lobules of the breast into the surrounding tissue. Breast screening is an important element in the response to breast cancer incidence in our communities. Some signs and symptoms to be aware of are: A lump, lumpiness or thickening of the breast tissueChanges to the nipple, such as a change in shape, crusting, a sore or ulcer, redness, unusual dischargeChanges to the skin of the breast, such as dimpling, unusual redness or other colour changesA change to the shape of the breast, including increase or decrease in sizeSwelling or discomfort in the armpitPersistent pain that is not related to your normal menstrual cycle TREATMENT OPTIONS Breast cancer treatment is often a multidisciplinary effort, involving: surgerychemotherapy andradiotherapyThere are different approaches available for all three treatment modalities in terms of technique, treatment regimens and prescriptions. Your team of specialists will discuss and recommend what is best suited for your diagnosis.As an example, for early stage breast cancer breast conserving surgery (lumpectomy) followed by a course of chemotherapy and then external beam radiotherapy is a common and standard treatment approach.External Beam Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer Radiotherapy has a vital role in the management of breast cancer.It is used: In conjunction with surgery (either lumpectomy removal of the tumour itself, or mastectomy removal of the breast, including the tumour)Instead of surgery,In advanced cases of cancer for symptom control (palliation)In each of these scenarios the treatment program is individualised for the patient based on the surgery undertaken, and the pathology and disease staging test results. Sometimes only the breast (or chest) requires radiation and sometimes both the breast and any affected lymph nodes are treated.Routinely radiotherapy treatment is delivered using External Beam Radiotherapy, but brachytherapy is also a viable treatment option for certain patients. Your Radiation Oncologist is the best person to advise you on what treatment is required, how effective the therapy should be, and how the treatment will affect you. AVAILABLE SERVICES All of our Genesis Cancer Care centres are actively involved in breast cancer research and hold joint multidisciplinary clinics where patient cases are discussed by surgeons, radiation and medical oncologists so that optimal overall care and treatment planning can be achieved. These groups of specialist treatment physicians are also supported by pathologists and radiologists who provide important diagnosis reports and investigations.Our treatment centres, in addition to providing the highest quality treatment services make support care via breast nurses and counsellors readily available. Link to Quick Links

E-Commerce and Information Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

E-Commerce and Information Technology - Essay Example IT implementation, therefore, requires evaluation measures that are effective in order to be successful in implementing the new technologies intended for the organization. Theories have been evolving in recent years that are able to give guidance to an organization in implementing innovations. Technology Acceptance Model Technology acceptance model theory specifies the casual relationship present in system design features, the behaviour of usage and how the toll is easy for usage. TAM predicts the acceptability of a specific tool and any modifications that should be put in place for the tool, to be acceptable by the end users. For an information to be accepted the users will analyse its usefulness and how easy it will be for them to use it. Behaviour intention affects the usage of information systems including the perception of how it is going to be utilised. An individual’s attitude and the impact the tool to be used has on the performance greatly affects the usage of a syste m. It is true to say that if an individual does not welcome the use of information system in the workplace but has perceptions that it will improve work performance; the individual will eventually use the information systems at the end of it all. With TAM, there is a link between what an employee at the work place perceives and the usefulness of the tool to be implemented. The extent to which technology will be used in an organization is mainly caused by technology diffusion;1 moreover, an employee’s ease of use attitude at the workplace will be influenced by a self-efficacy mechanism and his instrumentality. The behaviour and intentions a person creates towards a system will influence the person’s perception about the said system. In some cases, an individual may form a behavioural intention of a system and not necessarily have an attitude towards it. This creates a strong relation between a system that is the self-reported usage and has a perceived usefulness and it affects an individual’s intention. On the contrary, perceived ease of use has a significant effect on the behaviour intention of and individual and it later subsides over a period. Behaviour intention of a person towards a system, therefore, is greatly influenced by its perceived usefulness and the perception of ease of use. DHL Express Finland, in a case study carried out by Kuula and Annu, adopted an IntraShip application in order to improve on their B2B customers who make orders at DHL.2 The orders that were made to DHL gave the customers a number one experience. Shipping orders, being an important part of a company’s daily operations, made the consumers have a high level of usability and the experience they had been varied within a period of 6 months to 7 years. Majority of the users had been using the applications for a period not more than two years and later changed to other service providers other than DHL Express. The customers were satisfied with the changed situation at DHL Express, and it was problematic, but it is also smooth using IntraShip application. The main issue with the customers was the fact that there were issues relating to the ability to learn of IntraShip, and this was regarding facilitating conditions such as training. Even though, the application had certain features that were harder to learn, most customers thought the application was simple and in a matter of time, they would get used to it. Having internet and technology

An Element of Literature Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

An Element of Literature - Research Paper Example otional experience of the characters or the events, the reader, regardless of their own experience, begins to understand what it meant to be living during a period of economic depression, what it felt like to be subordinated to a point where you didn’t even have control in your own home or to be relegated to eternal poverty and hopelessness because of the color of your skin. Ideas such as these can be found in many forms of literature. For example, William Blake’s poem â€Å"London†, Kate Chopin’s short story â€Å"Story of an Hour† and Langston Hughes’ poem â€Å"Dreams Deferred† all center upon the theme of the shackled spirit and in all three, the authors show their audience what it feels like through the use of powerful imagery and simile. In â€Å"London†, Blake describes the way in which the human spirit had been shackled under economic despair in 1794, the year the poem was written. Traces of political unrest can be found in the poem as the scenes and sounds of a typical walk down the London streets are reported. The first lines of the poem, â€Å"A mark in every face I meet, / Marks of weakness, marks of woe† (3-4), provide the first hint that something is not right within the city. The signs of decay and desperation are seen in every face, suggesting that they are community-wide rather than the personal problems of just a few. This idea of community despair is reinforced in the second stanza as the speaker says, â€Å"In every cry of every man, / In every infant’s cry of fear, / In every voice, in every ban, / The mind-forged manacles I hear† (4-8). From the youngest to the oldest, Blake indicates everyone is suffering from this same sense of legal oppression (‘ban’ refers to new laws being posted), so they are suffering from something that is outside of their control. This is again reinforced in the third stanza when the speaker indicates that business is down, â€Å"How the chimney-sweepers cry† (9), money is scarce â€Å"Every blackening

Internet and Car Shopping Essay -- Expository Essays

Internet and Car Shopping Marketing studies show that more than half of Americans who are in the market to buy a new car use the Internet at least once. The Internet has now become part of the process to buying a new car. Most buyers use it to research cars so they save time going lot-to-lot test-driving cars to find that they just don't fit their tastes. Car buyers can research what car publications say about certain cars or just go to the manufacture's web site and compare specification to other models. Once you make your decision you can just go down to the dealership or order it online and have it delivered to your house. The best part of buying a car online is not having to deal with the pesky sales men that run out as soon as they see you pull up. I really hate that, I just want to walk around by myself and if I need your help I will come in and ask you. I bought a new car about a year ago and every time I went to a dealership a little sales guy came out and told me that I should sit inside the car. I can tell if I don't want to sit inside just by looking at it. I usually got the new guy who was desperately trying a little too hard to try and sell me a car that I wasn't even interested in just because he needed is first commission check. When I started to ask questions they kind of just blew me off because of my age. I believe that their mindset was 'here's a young kid who is obviously going to finance this so I'm just going to try and convince him that he needs to pay $16,000 for a car that has no air conditioning and an am/fm radio'. When you shop online there is no age barrier until you start the buying process, definite plus. When you order your new car online you have a wider variety of choices then you would... ...ce but I would tend to lean to J.D.A's statement just because they are better known. Online car buying seems legitimate and safe. I myself am still wary of putting by beloved credit card number online for thousands to see. I seem to not be the only one who feels this way because many dealers are stating that just because they are on the internet doesn't mean that they are making more money, they are saving money just not making any extra. So why do they stay on the net? They believe that in the future people will trust the Internet more and so they will be seeing the benefits. Of the 17 million cars that will be built next year only 62,000 will be sold online. May the future of car buying be done in your pajamas at your home office?, we'll have to wait and see. Works Cited Preston Lerner "Net Profits" Automobile Magazine 2001 Buying and Leasing pgs 22-27

Afghan-war prisoners Essay

Some insurgents’ failed attempt on an US military convoy was provocation enough for them to gun down 16 civilians, leaving another 25 severely wounded. The groups – dead and alive, contained woman and children. It is an event of March 4, 2007, took place in Iraq, on the Jalalabad highway in eastern Nangarhar province. The day next US army again responded the terrorist attack by 2000-pound aerial bombing in the civilian area, killing five women and three children. This happened at the Kapisa outpost. These are regular features in Iraq; between January 2006 till date, more than thousands of civilians were killed by US attack. Back home, US authorities are no less active under the ‘anti-terrorism’ movement. Ahmed Alenany, an Egyptian physician, was picked up from the road of New York City and was detained for five months, charged with overstaying, in spite of his valid ground of filing for its extension well before the expiry. His fault was that the police found two pictures of WTO in his car and he held a roadmap when arrested. That was one bubble on the sea. The United States securely took away 650 Afghan-war prisoners to their military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where they are reportedly passing their days in small single-person cells. India: On July 2005, four Kashmiri youths went to attend a wedding in Vilgam, Kupwara, and while out in the open at night for smoking away from the disapproving adults, three of them were gunned down by the Indian army all on a sudden. Later army admitted its mistake and wanted to compensate, though there was enough effort to suppress this news. India is also experiencing zero tolerance in counter-terrorism, especially after the militant attack on its parliament on December, 2001. They have even created a special law, â€Å"POTA† , which is capable of detaining anyone under the slightest suspicion on any ground of terrorism, that would later arrest 131 Muslims for the Godhra carnage of Hindus in 2002, who later retaliated with the killings of 2000 Muslims throughout the Gujrat state, were mostly able to slip past this law. China: Charged for â€Å"crimes of terror† and â€Å"incitement to separatism†, the popular religious leader Tenzin Delek Rinpoche was arrested in Sichuan on a night in December 2002 and sentenced to death. He was linked to the series of bombings. Same fate met his co-defendant Lobsang Dhondup, even quicker as he was executed. Now the open secret was that the authorities were up against his activities all the time, as he was a known supporter of the Dalai Lama. Egypt: This country has a track record of arresting hundreds of people either for their proximity to the Muslims, or for possessing â€Å"suspicious† literature. In a known case, 94 such victims, allegedly belonging to an â€Å"Islamic Group† though none heard about its name), were arrested in May, 2001. It was before the September 11 attack and after the attack, they were charged additionally for plotting to kill the government officials! The hapless victims belong to almost all rank and file – Doctors, engineers, professors, to name a few. They were dragged into the military courts whose norms, understandably conform to the trial standards set internationally. Accordingly, 51 were convicted! Georgia: Armed by the US support Georgian authorities have targeted the Chechens at Pankisi Gorge, a place which Russia also labelled as a â€Å"haven for the terrorists†. Here the governmental approach to the human rights violations is indicative of non-caring, as it is echoed by the words of its President Eduard Shevarnadze, who, right after extraditing five Chechens to Russia (October 5, 2002) without holding any court, said, â€Å"International human rights commitments might become pale in comparison with the importance of the anti-terrorist campaign†

Essay on Integral Philosophy of Education - 3423 Words

Integral Philosophy of Education ABSTRACT: Education, an action, is a process, a development of the imperfect human being intentionally directed at achieving the ideal of human plenitude in the best possible manner. This is a description of the educational process based on the human being who travels toward plenitude, a point of arrival; the human being who achieves his or her own perfection in the best possible manner; and a method: intentional guidance towards plenitude in the harmonious formation of humanity. It is not enough to say what education is or what it is like. It is necessary to clarify what education is for. The harmonious development of essential, integral and vocational abilities makes the student more perfect and†¦show more content†¦It is a method: intentionally guiding a human being towards the plenitude of the harmonious formation of man. Personalized education does not exclude that which is essential—common and equal—in all human beings; instead, it invigorates and justifi es the individual himself or his individual personality. Body and soul are susceptible to acquiring perfection and beauty, as Plato wished. This perfection assumes there is a natural, progressive and systematic development of all of mans superior abilities. Education is about preparing us for an integral life and for that which comes after our worldly existence. For that reason, the organization of habits capable of adapting individuals to their physical and social environment are so important. It would, however, be an error to limit us, as pragmatists do, to the organization of habits and the adaptation of individuals to their circumstances. The formation of men: as multi-dimensional and harmonious human beings and not just as specialists is fundamental. In this sense, education is the intentional perfection of uniquely human powers through systematic activities exercised by teachers with learners. The individual who receives education is an imperfect person capable of perfection. A person becomes educated because he is able to be educated; because his ability to acquire educationShow MoreRelatedMy Personal Philosophy Of Nursing947 Words   |  4 PagesPersonal Philosophy of Nursing and Application of Nursing Theory My personal philosophy of nursing encompasses three major tenets; compassion, empathy and, patient education. Each of these ideals are integral in my nursing practice, after learning about the nursing theory I have identified several nurse theorists that resonate most closely to my personal nursing philosophy. These include Dorothea Orem’s Self Care Model, Jean Watson’s Theory of Human/Transpersonal Caring and, Imogene King-ConceptualRead More What it takes to become a coach Essay examples1100 Words   |  5 Pagesperhaps as a professional player. While all that experience is valuable in one way or another, it does not constitute an adequate preparation for coaching an interschool team as an integral part of the school’s physical education program Regardless of the experience or teaching certificates a person may have, State Education Law, Article (6), Section 300lb, requires, â€Å"That a person employed as a coach of an interschool athletic team must old v alid first aid skills and knowledge certification (12 hoursRead MorePersonal Philosophy Of The Author1165 Words   |  5 Pages My Personal Philosophy Trisha DeSouza MDC-Benjamin Leon School of Nursing 23 June 2015 Abstract This purpose of this paper is to explore the personal philosophy of the author presented Trisha DeSouza. The author’s concept of pain is what led her to an exploration of a nursing career with compassion to care for those who are in trouble times. Through the use of the nursing metaparadigm of person, health, environment and nursing, she elaborates on their importance to her in relationRead MoreEXAMPLE Apply Theory To A Practice Prob2047 Words   |  6 Pagesdirect patient care situations, as well as in administration and management of nursing care services. The benefits of applying theory to address a practice dilemma can be demonstrated by applying Jean Watson’s theory of human caring, and Ken Wilbur’s integral theory and examining how these theories impact the problems surrounding nurse staffing situations in an acute care hospital setting. Practice Problem Identification and Importance A review of the nursing literature demonstrates that supporting nurseRead More My Philosophy of Education Essay580 Words   |  3 PagesMy Philosophy of Education My philosophy of education has evolved from working with students and different educational programs.   In order to have a philosophy on education, the term education should be defined.   Education is a process that involves reasoning and synthesizing new concepts and information.   Education does not take place in confined boundaries.   Education should be a continual growth process.   For the purposes of this essay, the primary focus will be on my philosophy of educationRead MoreChapter 8- Philosophy Of Education Essay724 Words   |  3 PagesZittleman, K.R. (2013). Teachers, Schools, and Society. (10th ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill. Chapter 8- Philosophy of Education pp. 250-257 The author mentions four elements of philosophies in education that may center on teachers and centered on students. Teacher- Centered Philosophies are mostly emphasizes the importance of transferring knowledge, information, and skills. One teacher-centered philosophy is Essentialism. Essentialism teaching the back to basic approach, which centers ‘building knowledgeRead MorePhilosophy of Early Childhood Essay854 Words   |  4 Pagespersonal philosophy of Early childhood Education My philosophy of Early childhood education is based on research that indicates that a child’s growth is developmental. Every child is unique in terms of life experiences, developmental readiness, and cultural heritage. A high quality early childhood program that provides a safe and nurturing environment, which promotes physical, social, emotional, language and cognitive development will ensure a positive continuation of the child’s education processRead MoreWhy I Become A Teacher Essay1493 Words   |  6 PagesIn Education, I feel that each and every child should be considered as a unique individual. Children need secure, stimulating and caring atmospheres so that may grow maturely, intellectually, physically and socially. This is one of the main reasons I have chosen to become a teacher. Employers usually search for certain skills, qualities, talents in characteristics when looking for potential teachers and I feel that I possess many. I am a very organized individ ual; I have a lot of patience and experienceRead MoreChapter 6 : Philosophies Of Education1332 Words   |  6 PagesKaur Savdeep MCC 623 Journal# 3 Chapters 6,7, 8 Spring 2017 Chapter 6: Philosophies of education Philosophy means Love of Knowledge.† One of the important means of getting knowledge is Education. Philosophers state different theories on education. Behind every school and every teacher is a set of related beliefs-a philosophy of education- that influences what and how students are taught. A philosophy of education represents answers to questions about the purpose of schooling, a teacher s roleRead MoreNursing Philosophy : My Personal Philosophy Of Nursing932 Words   |  4 PagesMy Philosophy of Nursing My personal philosophy of nursing began at an early age watching my mother volunteer for 25 years on the local rescue squad, following in the footsteps of her mother. I learned that helping others in a time of need should always be a priority. Respect and dignity should always be shown to people, no matter the who they are or where they are from. I have and will continue to show compassion for others while administering professional holistic care, guided by the American

Maya Angelou - Poet, Author, Actress, Playwright

Maya Angelou was an African-American author, playwright, poet, dancer, actress, and singer.  Her illustrious 50-year career included publishing 36 books,  including volumes of poetry and three books of essays. Angelou is credited for producing  and acting in several plays, musicals,  movies, and TV shows.  Ã‚  She is best known, however,  for her first autobiography,  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969). The book depicts the  tragedies of Angelous traumatic childhood,  detailing a brutal rape at 7 1/2,  and an early  adulthood encumbered by teenage pregnancy. Dates: April 4, 1928 to May 28, 2014 Also Known As:  Marguerite Anne Johnson (born as), Ritie, Rita A Long Way From Home Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Anne Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri,  to Bailey Johnson Sr., a porter and navy dietitian,  and Vivian Bibbie Baxter, a nurse. Angelou’s only sibling, one-year-older brother Bailey Jr. was unable as a child to pronounce Angelou’s first name, Marguerite, and thus nicknamed his sister Maya, derived from My Sister. The name-change proved useful later in Mayas  life. After her parents separated in 1931, Bailey Sr.  sent three-year-old Maya and Bailey Jr. to live with his mother, Annie Henderson, in segregated Stamps, Arkansas. Momma, as Maya and Bailey called her, was the only black female storeowner in rural Stamps and was highly respected. Despite the fact that severe poverty abounded, Momma prospered during the Great Depression and World War II by supplying basic staples. In addition to running the store, Momma took care of her paralyzed son, whom the children called â€Å"Uncle Willie.† Although smart, Maya was extremely insecure as a child, viewing herself as awkward, unwanted, and ugly because she was black. At times, Maya sought to hide her legs, greased them with Vaseline, and dusted them with red clay --  deeming any color  was  better than black. Bailey, on the other hand, was charming, free-spirited, and extremely protective of his sister. Life in Stamps, Arkansas Momma put her grandchildren to work in the store, and Maya watched the exhausted cotton-pickers as they trudged to and from work. Momma was the chief stabilizer and moral guide in the childrens lives, giving them valuable advice in picking their battles with white people. Momma warned that the slightest impertinence could result in lynching. The daily indignities manifested through entrenched racism made life in Stamps  miserable for the displaced children. Their shared experience of loneliness and longing for their parents led to a strong dependence on each other. The childrens passion for reading provided a  refuge  from their harsh reality. Maya spent every Saturday in  Stamps library, eventually reading every book on its shelves. After four  years in Stamps, Maya and Bailey were surprised when their handsome father appeared driving a fancy car to take them back to St. Louis to live with their mother.  Maya watched curiously as  Bailey Sr.  interacted with  his mother  and brother, Uncle Willie -- making them feel inferior  with his boasting. Maya did not like it, especially when Bailey Jr. -- the splitting image of his father -- acted as if this man had never abandoned them. Meet Me in St. Louis Vivian was devastatingly beautiful and the children instantly fell in love with her, especially Bailey Jr.  Mother Dear, as the children called her,  was a force of nature  and  lived life to the fullest, expecting everyone else to do the same.  Although Vivian had a nursing degree, she made  a nice  living playing poker in gambling parlors. Landing in St. Louis during Prohibition, Maya and Bailey were introduced to underworld crime figures by their maternal grandmother (â€Å"Grandma Baxter†), who entertained them. She also had clout with the citys police. Vivians father and four brothers had city jobs,  rare for black men, and had a reputation for being mean. But they treated the children well and Maya was awed by them, finally feeling a sense of familial belonging. Maya and Bailey stayed with Vivian and her  older boyfriend, Mr. Freeman. Vivian was strong,  vibrant, and independent like Momma, treating her children well. However,  she was dispassionate and Maya could not establish a close relationship. Innocence Lost Maya craved her mothers affection so much that she began confiding in Vivians insecure  boyfriend. Mayas 7 1/2-year-old innocence was shattered when Freeman molested her on two occasions, then raped her—threatening to kill Bailey if she told. Although he was found guilty at a hearing and sentenced to one year in jail, Freeman was temporarily released. Three weeks later, Maya overheard police telling Grandma Baxter that Freeman had been found beaten to death, presumably by her uncles. The family never mentioned the incident. Thinking she was  responsible for Freemans death by testifying, confused Maya resolved to protect others by not speaking. She became mute for five years, refusing to speak to anyone except her brother. After a while, Vivian was unable to deal with Mayas emotional state. She sent the children back to live with Momma in Stamps, much to Baileys discontent. The emotional consequences caused by the rape followed Maya throughout her lifetime. Back  to Stamps and a Mentor Momma wasted no time getting Maya help by introducing her to Bertha Flowers, a beautiful,  refined, and educated black woman.  The great teacher exposed Maya to classic authors, such as Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and James Weldon Johnson, as well as black female authors. Flowers had Maya memorize certain works by the authors to recite aloud—showing her that words have the power to create, not destroy.   Through Mrs. Flowers, Maya realized the power, eloquence, and beauty of the spoken word. The ritual  awakened Mayas passion for poetry,  built confidence, and slowly goaded  her out of silence. Once reading books as a refuge from reality,  she now read books to understand it. To Maya, Bertha Flowers was the ultimate role model—someone she could aspire to become. Maya was a great student and graduated with honors in 1940 from Lafayette County Training School. An eighth-grade graduation was a big  occasion in Stamps, but the white speaker  insinuated that  the black graduates could only succeed in sports or servitude, not academics. Maya  was inspired, however, when the class valedictorian led the graduates in Lift Evry Voice and Sing,  listening for the first time to the songs words. Its Better in  California Stamps, Arkansas was a town entrenched in severe racism. For instance, one day, when Maya had a severe toothache, Momma took her to the only  dentist in town, who was white,  and  to whom she had loaned money during the Great Depression. But the dentist refused to treat Maya,  proclaiming that he would rather stick his hand in a dogs mouth than in black Mayas. Momma took Maya outside and stamped back into the  mans office. Momma returned with $10 she said the dentist owed her in interest on his loan and took Maya 25 miles to see a black dentist. After Bailey came home terribly shaken one day,  having been forced by a white man to help load a black mans  dead, rotting body onto a wagon, Momma  prepared to get her grandchildren  away from further dangers. Never having traveled more than 50 miles from her birthplace, Momma left Willie and her store to take Maya and Bailey to their mother in Oakland, California. Momma stayed six months to get the children settled before returning to Stamps. Genuinely glad to have her children back, Vivian  threw  Maya and Bailey a welcoming  party at midnight.  The children discovered their mother was popular and fun-loving, with many male suitors. But Vivian  chose to marry  Daddy Clidell, a  successful businessman who moved the family to San Francisco. Upon Mayas entrance into Mission High School, she  was  advanced a grade and later transferred to a school where she  was one of only three blacks. Maya liked one teacher, Miss Kirwin, who treated everyone  equally. At 14, Maya received a full college scholarship to the California Labor School  to study drama and  dance. Growing Pains Daddy Clidell was the owner of several apartment buildings and pool halls, and Maya was enthralled  by his quiet dignity. He was the only true father figure she ever knew, making Maya feel like his cherished daughter. But when  Bailey Sr.  invited her to stay with him and his much younger girlfriend Dolores for the summer, Maya accepted. When she arrived, Maya was shocked to discover they lived in a low-class trailer  home. From the outset, the two women didnt get along. When Bailey Sr. took Maya to Mexico on a shopping trip, it ended disastrously with 15-year-old Maya  driving her inebriated father back to the Mexican border. Upon their return, jealous Dolores confronted Maya, blaming her for coming between them. Maya slapped Dolores for calling  Vivian a whore; Dolores then stabbed Maya in the hand and stomach with scissors. Maya ran from the house bleeding. Knowing she couldnt hide her wounds from Vivian, Maya did not return to San Francisco.  She was also afraid that Vivian and her family would cause trouble for Bailey Sr., remembering what happened to Mr. Freeman. Bailey Sr. took Maya to get her wounds wrapped at a friends house. Determined never to  be victimized again, Maya fled the home of her fathers friend and spent the night in a  junkyard. The next morning, she  found  there were several runaways  living there.  During  her month-long stay with the runaways, Maya learned to not only dance and cuss  but to also appreciate diversity,  which influenced the rest of her life.  At summers end, Maya decided to return to her mother, but the experience left  her feeling  empowered. Movin On Up Maya had matured from a timid girl into a  strong young woman. Her brother Bailey, on the other hand, was changing. He had become obsessed  with winning his mothers affection, even beginning to  emulate the lifestyles of the men  Vivian once kept company with. When Bailey brought a white prostitute home, Vivian kicked him out. Hurt and disillusioned, Bailey eventually left town  to take a job with the railroad. When school started in the fall, Maya  convinced Vivian  to let her  take a semester off to work. Missing Bailey terribly,  she  sought a distraction and  applied for a job as a streetcar conductor,  despite racist hiring policies.  Maya persisted for weeks, eventually becoming  San Franciscos first black streetcar operator. Upon returning to school, Maya began to mentally exaggerate her masculine features and became worried that she might be a lesbian.  Maya decided to get a boyfriend to convince herself otherwise. But all of  Mayas male friends  wanted slim, light-skinned, straight-haired girls, and she possessed none of these qualities.  Maya then  propositioned a handsome neighbor boy, but the unsatisfying encounter didnt allay her anxieties. Three weeks later, however, Maya discovered she was pregnant. After calling Bailey, Maya decided to keep her pregnancy a secret. Afraid that Vivian would make her quit school, Maya threw herself into her studies, and after graduating from the Mission High School in 1945  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹confessed her eighth-month pregnancy. Claude Bailey Johnson, who later changed his name to Guy,  was born shortly after 17-year-old Mayas graduation. A New Name, New Life Maya adored her son and, for the very first time, felt needed.  Her life became more colorful as  she worked to  provide for  him by singing and  dancing in nightclubs, cooking, being a cocktail waitress,  a prostitute, and  a brothel madam. In 1949, Maya married  Anastasios Angelopulos, a Greek-American sailor. But the interracial marriage in 1950s America was doomed from the start, ending in 1952. In 1951, Maya studied modern dance under greats  Alvin Ailey and Martha Graham, even  teaming with Ailey to perform at local  functions  as Al and Rita. Working as a professional calypso dancer  at the Purple Onion in San Francisco, Maya was still called Marguerite Johnson. But that soon changed when, at the insistence of her managers, Maya combined her former husbands surname and Baileys nickname of Maya,  to create  the distinctive name,  Maya Angelou. When Angelou’s beloved Momma passed away, Angelou  was sent into a tailspin. Distraught,  but vowing to live fully,  Angelou turned down a contract for a Broadway play, left her son with Vivian, and  embarked on a 22-nation  tour with the opera Porgy and Bess (1954-1955). But Angelou continued to hone her writing skills while traveling, as she found  solace in creating poetry. In 1957, Angelou  recorded her first album, Calypso Heat Wave. Angelou had been dancing, singing, and acting  throughout San Francisco, but then moved to New York and joined the Harlem Writers Guild in the late 1950s. While there, she befriended literary great James Baldwin,  who encouraged  Angelou to  focus directly on a writing career. Triumph and Tragedy In 1960, after hearing civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. speak,  Angelou wrote along  with Godfrey Cambridge,  Cabaret for Freedom,  to benefit Kings Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Angelou was a great asset as a fundraiser and organizer;  she was then appointed SCLCs Northern Coordinator by Dr. King. Also in 1960,  Angelou took a common-law husband, Vusumzi Make, a South African anti-apartheid leader from Johannesburg.  Maya,  her 15-year-old son Guy, and new husband moved to Cairo, Egypt, where Angelou became an editor for The Arab Observer. Angelou continued taking teaching and writing jobs as she and  Guy adjusted. But as her relationship  with Make came to an end in 1963,  Angelou left Egypt with her son for Ghana. There, she became an administrator at the University of Ghanas School of Music and Drama, an editor for The African Review, and a feature writer for  The Ghanaian Times. As a result of her travels,  Angelou was  fluent in French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Serbo-Croatian, and Fanti (a West African language). While living in Africa,  Angelou  established a great friendship with Malcolm X. Upon returning to the States in 1964 to help him build the newly  formed Organization of African American Unity, Malcolm X was assassinated soon thereafter. Devastated,  Angelou went to live with her brother in Hawaii but returned to Los Angeles during the summer of the 1965 race riots.  Angelou wrote and acted in plays until  she returned to New York in 1967. Hard Trials, Great Achievement In 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. asked Angelou to organize a march, but the plans were interrupted when King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 –  on Angelous 40th birthday. Reeling and vowing never to celebrate the date again, Angelou was encouraged by James Baldwin to overcome her grief by writing.   Doing what she did best,  Angelou wrote, produced, and narrated Blacks, Blues, Black!,  a ten-part documentary series about the link between the blues music genre and black heritage.  Also in 1968,  attending a dinner party with Baldwin, Angelou was challenged to write an autobiography by Random House editor Robert Loomis.  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Angelous first autobiography,  which was published in 1969, became an immediate bestseller and brought Angelou worldwide acclaim. In 1973, Angelou wed the Welsh writer and cartoonist Paul du Feu. Though Angelou never spoke openly about her marriages, it was  deemed by  those closest  to be her longest and happiest union. However, it ended in amicable divorce in 1980. Awards and Honors Angelou was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1977 for her role as Kunta Kintes grandmother in Alex Haleys television miniseries, Roots. In 1982, Angelou began teaching at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina,  where she held the first lifetime Reynolds Professorship of American Studies. Past presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton requested Angelou to serve on various boards. In 1993, Angelou was asked to write and recite a poem (On the Pulse of the Morning) for Clintons inauguration, winning a Grammy award and  being the second individual after Robert Frost (1961) so honored. Angelous numerous awards include  the Presidential Medal of Arts  (2000),  the Lincoln Medal (2008), the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama (2011), the  Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation (2013), and the Mailer Prize for Lifetime Achievement (2013). Though her educational pursuits were limited to high school, Angelou received 50 honorary doctorates. A Phenomenal Woman Maya Angelou  was highly  respected by millions as  an  astounding  author,  poet,  actor, lecturer, and activist.  Starting  in the  1990s and continuing to shortly before her death,  Angelou made  at least 80 appearances annually on the lecture circuit.   Her comprehensive body of published works include  36 books, seven of which are autobiographies, numerous collections of poetry, a book of essays, four plays, a screenplay—oh,  and a cookbook. Angelou once had three  books—I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, The Heart of a Woman, and Even the Stars Looked Lonesome—on New York Times bestseller list for six consecutive weeks, simultaneously. Whether through a book, a play, poem, or lecture, Angelou inspired millions,  especially women, to  use the negative experiences they survived  as a  catapult to impossible achievements. On the morning of May 28, 2014, frail and suffering from a heart-related  extended  illness, 86-year-old Maya Angelou was  found unconscious  by her caretaker.  Accustomed to  doing things her way, Angelou had instructed her staff to not resuscitate her in such a condition.   The memorial ceremony in  Maya Angelous honor, hosted by Wake Forest University, included many luminaries. Media mogul Oprah Winfrey, Angelous long-time friend and protege,  planned and  directed the heartfelt tribute. The town of Stamps renamed its only park  in Angelous honor in June 2014.