'Sharing Miracles' Television Program to Feature Academy Award-Winning Actress Marcia Gay Harden

'Sharing Miracles' Television Program to Feature Academy Award-Winning Actress Marcia Gay Harden

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Every Sunday in October -- in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month -- Sharing Miracles, a 30-minute public affairs television program that tells the compelling and inspirational stories of real patients, will feature Academy Award-winning actress and patient advocate Marcia Gay Harden. Sharing Miracles now shows on 185 television stations across the United States.

Harden has enchanted audiences and critics alike with her deft portrayal of difficult characters in hit movies such as Miller's Crossing, Meet Joe Black, Pollock, Into the Wild, The First Wives Club, Space Cowboys, Mona Lisa Smile, The Mist and Clint Eastwood's film Mystic River. Her work in television has included appearances on long-running shows Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and Homicide: Life on the Street, and she has made multiple appearances on both The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Late Show with David Letterman. More recently, Harden found inspiration for her role as patient advocate during character research for the film Rails and Ties.

"My character in Rails and Ties had Stage Four breast cancer and a mastectomy, so as part of researching my role we brought a group of breast cancer survivors to set," Harden explains. "Meeting these women was pretty transformative for me and helped me realize what a problem breast cancer is. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, so in portraying women with breast cancer in some of my movies, it's a chance to bring real issues like that to the consciousness of America."

Harden's appearance on Sharing Miracles coincides with National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and in the latest episode she shares her passion for patient advocacy. She says on the show, "My job as an advocate is to encourage women to get mammograms, because prevention is the first step. Cancer doesn't know color, creed, finances, or background; it affects us all. It's really been a pleasure to speak up about the importance of breast cancer prevention."

The Academy Award winner's portrayal of breast cancer victims in her films has given Harden a chance to help patients nationwide. She says, "I also played a woman struggling with breast cancer in my recent movie, Home (http://www.homethemotionpicture.com/). It's tough to portray a character with cancer, but for me, the tougher the role the better. In this case, with cancer, as an actor you know you're doing something that will speak to so many people. These roles may be difficult, but they have provided me with a wonderful opportunity to help people."

According to a recent survey conducted by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), more than 750 medicines are currently being developed to treat different kinds of cancer, including 90 for breast cancer. Acknowledging the progress already made in treating the disease, but recognizing the tremendous need for further research, cancer expert and Bristol-Myers Squibb scientist Dr. Renzo Cannetta says, "Thanks in part to new and innovative treatments, doctors are using less-invasive methods to treat breast cancer. Whereas in the past doctors might have performed a mastectomy, thanks to newer treatments many doctors are able to perform a lumpectomy or other much less-invasive procedures for patients."

Previous episodes of Sharing Miracles have featured Emmy Award-winning actor Joey Pantoliano, who suffers from clinical depression; Olympic gold medal winners Mark Spitz (high cholesterol) and Bruce Jenner (attention deficit disorder); syndicated television talk show host Montel Williams, who suffers from multiple sclerosis; four-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Greg Louganis, who is affected by HIV; actor and Leave It To Beaver star Jerry Mathers, who is affected by diabetes; pop icon and Broadway star Deborah Gibson, who has suffered from devastating anxiety attacks; and North Carolina State University women's basketball coach Kay Yow, a breast cancer survivor. Future programs will highlight NFL Hall of Famer and Super Bowl Champion quarterback Len Dawson, who battled prostate cancer, and former Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro running back Jerome "The Bus" Bettis, who has asthma.

The new episode debuts October 5. Sharing Miracles airs on Sunday mornings -- in 52 television markets, reaching nearly 50 million households -- on the following network-affiliated stations:

   --  WTTG-TV (FOX), Washington, DC, 10:30 am-11:00 am   --  KCOP-TV (MyTV), Los Angeles, CA, 10 am-10:30 am   --  WMAQ-TV (NBC), Chicago, IL, 11:30 am-12 noon   --  WWOR-TV (MyTV), New York, NY, 9 am-9:30 am   --  WFTX-TV (FOX), Boston, MA, 11 am-11:30 am   --  WBFF-TV (FOX), Baltimore, MD, 11 am-11:30 am   --  WPHL-TV (MyTV), Philadelphia, PA, 11 am-11:30 am   --  WXIN-TV (FOX), Indianapolis, IN, 11:30 am-12 noon   --  WGCL-TV (CBS), Atlanta, GA, 7 am-7:30 am   --  KABB-TV (FOX), San Antonio, TX, 8 am-8:30 am   --  WCIA-TV (CBS), Springfield/Champaign/Urbana/Decatur, IL, 10:30 am-11       am   --  WLAJ-TV (ABC), Lansing, MI, 11 am-11:30 am   --  WNYT-TV (NBC), Albany/Schenectady/Troy, NY, 11:30 am-12 noon   --  KQCA-TV (MyTV), Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, CA, 11:30 am-12 noon   --  KXTL-TV (FOX), Sacramento/Stockton/Modesto, CA, 6:30 am-7 am   --  WBRZ-TV (ABC), Baton Rouge, LA, 11 am-11:30 am   --  WAPT-TV (ABC), Jackson, MS, 9 am-9:30 am   --  WOWK-TV (CBS), Charleston/Huntington, WV, 11:00 am-11:30 am   --  WSYX-TV (ABC), Columbus, OH, 7:30 am-8 am   --  WTVO-TV (ABC), Rockford, IL, 9 am-9:30 am   --  KGEM-TV (NBC), Quincy, IL, 11 am-11:30 am   --  WNAC-TV (FOX), Providence, RI, 10:30 am-11 am   --  WMTW-TV (ABC), Portland/Augusta, ME, 11:30 am-12 noon   --  KHBB-TV (ABC), Helena, MT, 10 am-10:30 am   --  KIVI-TV (ABC), Boise, ID, 8 am-8:30 am   --  WMBD-TV (CBS), Peoria, IL, 10 am-10:30 am   --  WTWC-TV (NBC), Tallahassee, FL, 10 am-10:30 am   --  WWL-TV (CBS), New Orleans, LA, 7:30 am-8 am   --  WOI-TV (ABC), Des Moines, IA, 6:30 am-7 am   --  WKOW-TV (ABC), Madison, WI, 11 am-11:30 am   --  KFBB-TV (ABC), Great Falls, MT, 10 am-10:30 am   --  WVNY-TV (ABC), Burlington/Montpelier, VT, 11:30 am-12 noon   --  WHBF-TV (CBS), Rock Island, IL/Davenport, IA, 10 am-10:30 am   --  KEYE-TV (CBS), Austin, TX, 10:30 am-11 am   --  KDEV-TV (ABC), Cheyenne, WY, 7:30 am-8:00 am   --  KTKA-TV (ABC), Topeka, KS, 8:30 am-9 am   --  WRAZ-TV (FOX), Raleigh, NC, 7:30 am-8 am   --  KLRT-TV (FOX), Little Rock, AR, 9 am-9:30 am   --  KDLT-TV (NBC), Sioux Falls, SD, 9 am-9:30 am   --  WRLH-TV (FOX), Richmond, VA, 10 am-10:30 am   --  KTBY-TV (FOX), Anchorage, AK, 6 am-6:30 am   --  KXD-TV (CBS), Fairbanks, AK, 5:30 am-6 am   --  KWBQ-TV (CW), Albuquerque/Sante Fe, NM, 10 am-10:30 am   --  KRCG-TV (CBS), Columbia/Jefferson City, MO, 10:30 am-11 am   --  WNCF-TV (ABC), Montgomery, AL, 9:30 am-10 am   --  KBMY-TV (ABC), Minot/Bismarck, ND, 9 am-9:30 am   --  KLKN-TV (ABC), Lincoln, NE, 10:30 am-11 am   --  WACH-TV (FOX), Columbia, SC, 11 am-11:30 am   --  WHTM-TV (ABC), Harrisburg, PA, 11 am-11:30 am   --  KXTU-TV (CW), Colorado Springs, CO, 10:30 am-11 am   --  KOCO-TV (ABC), Oklahoma City, OK, 11 am-11:30 am   --  WSIL-TV (ABC), Carbondale, IL/Paducah, KY/Cape Girardeau, MO, 10:30       am-11 am.   

The show also airs on 133 community broadcast stations across the country. For free DVDs of Sharing Miracles, please contact the PhRMA press line at 202-835-3460 or go to http://www.sharingmiracles.com/.

Community stations airing Sharing Miracles are located in the following cities: Harrison, AR; Mountain Home, AR; Chino Valley, AZ; Compton, CA; Del Mar, CA; Gilroy, CA; Hayward, CA; Pasadena, CA; Petaluma, CA; Sacramento, CA; San Francisco, CA; Santa Barbara, CA; Aurora, CO; Longmont, CO; Bridgeport, CT; Hamden, CT; Hartford, CT; Madison, CT; North Haven, CT; Plainville, CT; Tampa, FL; Atlanta, GA; Douglasville, GA; Hilo, HI; Des Moines, IA; Mount Vernon, IA; Olin, IA; Muscatine, IA; Mountain Home, ID; Pocatello, ID; Aurora, IL; Batavia, IL; Bloomington, IN; Fort Wayne, IN; Lawrence, KS; Covington, KY; Highland Heights, KY; Lafayette, LA; Amherst, MA; Arlington, MA; Boston, MA; Carver, MA; Chelmsford, MA; Dracut, MA; East Longmeadow, MA; Easthampton, MA; Holden, MA; Hopkinton, MA; Lexington, MA; Longmeadow, MA; Lynn, MA; Marion, MA; Marshfield, MA; Sandwich, MA; Worcester, MA; Easton, MD; Bridgton, ME; Brunswick, ME; Mexico, ME; Ann Arbor, MI; Cadillac, MI; Farmington Hills, MI; Holland, MI; Kalamazoo, MI; Lake Orion, MI; Manistee, MI; Portage, MI; Romeo, MI; Waterford, MI; Blaine, MN; Bloomington, MN; Champlin, MN; Coon Rapids, MN; Duluth, MN; Fergus Falls, MN; Hibbing, MN; Hutchinson, MN; Minneapolis, MN; Rosemont, MN; Spring Park, MN; Stillwater, MN; White Bear Lake, MN; Helena, MT; Columbia, MO; Vicksburg, MS; Albemarle, NC; Hastings, NE; Omaha, NE; Claremont, NH; Durham, NH; Londonderry, NH; Manchester, NH; North Conway, NH; Princeton, NJ; Albuquerque, NM; Los Alamos, NM; Taos, NM; Minden, NV; Chappaqua, NY; Fairport, NY; Staten Island, NY; Tivoli, NY; Webster, NY; Hudson; OH; Macedonia, OH; Norwood, OH; Oregon City, OR; Silverton, OR; Berwyn, PA; Gettysburg, PA; McMurray, PA; Reading, PA; Murfreesboro, TN; Cedar City, UT; Logan, UT; Blacksburg, VA; Bristol, VT; Hyde Park, VT; Manchester Center, VT; Middlebury, VT; Springfield, VT; White River Junction, VT; Bainbridge Island, WA; Bremerton, WA; Kent, WA; Longview, WA; Port Townsend, WA; Seattle, WA; Toppenish, WA; Janesville, WI; River Falls, WI; Whitehall, WI and Wisconsin Rapids, WI.

The show's corresponding Web site, http://www.sharingmiracles.com/, is an interactive forum for people to relate their own personal stories of hope and survival. Every patient's battle is unique, but the collective power of shared experiences can offer great help and courage to others who are fighting for their lives.

The Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) helps uninsured and financially-struggling patients access information on programs that provide prescription medicines for free or nearly free. To find out if they may qualify for help, patients should call toll-free 1-888-4PPA-NOW to speak with a trained specialist or visit www.pparx.org.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represents the country's leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, which are devoted to inventing medicines that allow patients to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives. PhRMA companies are leading the way in the search for new cures. PhRMA members alone invested an estimated $44.5 billion in 2007 in discovering and developing new medicines. Industry-wide research and investment reached a record $58.8 billion in 2007.

PhRMA Internet Address: http://www.phrma.org/

For information on stories of hope and survival, visit: http://sharingmiracles.com/

For information on how innovative medicines save lives, visit: http://www.innovation.org/

For information on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, visit:http://www.pparx.org

For information on the danger of imported drugs, visit: http://www.buysafedrugs.info/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America

CONTACT: Kaelan Hollon of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of
America, +1-202-835-3460

Web Site: http://www.buysafedrugs.info/
http://www.homethemotionpicture.com/
http://www.innovation.org/
http://www.phrma.org/
http://www.sharingmiracles.com/
https://www.pparx.org/

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Profile: International Entertainment