PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A self-described “Philly girl” was awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal last week for her pioneering work toward ending breast cancer.
“I was incredibly surprised and, of course, honored,” said Fran Visco, who was at home in Bella Vista the week before Christmas when she got an email from the White House with a phone number she was asked to call. When she called, she was told she would receive a Presidential Citizens Medal on Jan. 2.
“The very first thing I did was take a moment and think, ‘Is this real?’” she said.
Visco had been to the White House once before—to deliver 2.6 million signatures to then-President Bill Clinton, demanding a national breast cancer action plan.
On Thursday, she was back in the East Room with President Joe Biden, receiving the country’s second-highest civilian honor for her work in the intervening years.
“I still think of myself as Fran Visco from West Philly. And it’s like, here I am on stage in the White House with the president of the United States,” she said.
Biden bestowed the honor on 20 people who worked on causes supported by the president during his decades of public service, including desegregation, women's rights, gun safety, LGBTQ rights and military affairs.
For 30 years, Visco has led the National Breast Cancer Coalition. She first became active in breast cancer advocacy after getting the disease herself, when she was 39 years old.
“We brought together a group of visionary scientists and advocates from across the country and internationally, actually. It’s not a large group, but it is a group of incredibly creative, boundary-pushing individuals,” she said.
NBCC posed a question to the group—can breast cancer be prevented? They decided it was worth exploring and through years of research, they’ve developed a vaccine that they hope will be in clinical trials this year.
Visco’s goal with NBCC has been to eliminate breast cancer.
“We don’t need to exist to ask the questions that everyone else is asking. There’s enough organizations and institutions doing that. We see our role as looking at where the gaps are. What are the questions that need to be asked?”
Visco is staying humble, despite the honor.
“I’m a Philly girl,” she said. “I am born, raised, live, love being in Philadelphia.”