Profiles in Journalistic Courage by Lisa DeLisle

Author:Lisa DeLisle [DeLisle, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780765808585
Google: r6h5PwAACAAJ
Publisher: Transaction Publishers
Published: 2001-01-15T04:43:37+00:00

Ned Asta

MSJ: What made you pose for this photograph?

Ned Asta: I was devastated when the breast was removed, and ashamed, and to tell you the truth when I saw Matuschka, I thought, “That is amazing,” and she gave me courage. But I just think exposing it is the way I wanted to go.

I was angry also. I was, like, “Look, this happened to me. Do you want to see it?” That might not be a good attitude but...

MSJ: No, I think anger plays a role with all of us. You are not alone there. What was your situation when cancer hit you?

Asta: It was 1993. After they had biopsied it, I went to the surgeon’s office. He was very nice but it was, “I hate to tell you this, Ned, but you have cancer.” And I just was dumbfounded. And being that I am into my own body—I have always loved my body—I was devastated. I said, “Do you mind if I go to other doctors?” I went all over New York state, and they all said the same thing: “Infiltrating carcinoma. And we’ve got to take your whole breast off.”

MSJ: And what was the space between the surgery and the time that you decided to do this photo.

Asta: Let me see, my kid was 6—at least three to four years later.

MSJ: And how did it come about?

Asta: I helped start Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance. It was a grass-roots thing. Someone on The Ithaca Journal said, “We are doing a whole pull-out section. Is there anyone willing to show us a mastectomy?” Right away I got the phone calls. They knew I would do that, because of my personality and also being in ACT UP and having a lot of friends die of AIDS—that helped me.

MSJ: I see. You warmed to that idea right away?

Asta: Right away—they knew what I would say, and no one else wanted to do it. Even the young ones didn’t want to do it.

MSJ: You didn’t have any hesitation?

Asta: Okay, the hesitation I had, I must tell you, is my son. My son is in the community and was going to the local elementary school, and he was the only one that I was concerned about—no one else. I just thought, “Would he be harassed?” It was in the local paper and would the parents say, “Oh, my God, that’s Ned’s son”? So I had to clear it with him.

MSJ: What did your son say?

Asta: First he said, “I don’t know, Mommy,” and we talked about it slowly. I said, “If my picture is in the local paper naked, I want to show people what happens when you have breast cancer and how we could prevent it.” I told him about early detection. I actually explained it to him. And he said he loved me and that he would be proud of me.

MSJ: And how old was he at the time?

Asta: He was 9.

MSJ: He was 9 at the time. So he showed some courage too.

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