Photo Gary Yon Photography
A GLIMMER OF HOPE
McCandless resident Diana Napper and her Glimmer of Hope Foundation
bring new technology and awareness to the battle against breast cancer.
BY NICOLE TAFE
I
n October 2014, the Wexford Health & Wellness Pavilion received
Upon graduation she pursued a career in outside sales in New Jersey
and began operating one of the first machines of its kind in the
in 1979. In 1986 she and her husband, Milt Napper, moved back to
United States, thanks to the hard work and determination of Diana
Pittsburgh and they, with their four children — Amanda, Justin, Ryan
Napper and the Glimmer of Hope Foundation.
and Alexis — now live in McCandless Township.
The SenoClair tomosynthesis unit and its
Moving back to Pittsburgh was very hard for
workstation now service approximately 50
Napper, as she had to leave behind her best friend,
mammograms for women each week, and the
Carol Jo Weiss Friedman, who was dying of breast
numbers continue to grow. The machine uniquely
cancer. Friedman had always encouraged Napper
provides three‑dimensional breast imaging using
to pursue her dreams of opening a jewelry business.
low-dose X-rays to photograph nine layers of breast
Before her death, Friedman made Napper promise to
tissue, which helps doctors differentiate benign from
pursue that dream, and Napper promised in return to
dangerous abnormalities and detect the earliest
use the money she would earn to open a hospice in
stages of cancer. Allegheny Health Network was
Friedman’s name. Though at the time she was raising
Photo courtesy Allegheny Health Network
the first center in the nation to install the unit and
three small children while her husband traveled for
received the technology shortly after the Federal
work, Napper remained mindful of the promise to
Drug Administration approved its use in the United States, thanks
her best friend and began to work toward that goal.
to a $171,000 donation made by Napper’s nonprofit foundation
“I decided to design a pin that would capture the pain and emotion
committed to im &