By STEVE PRISAMENT

Staff Writer

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP – Despite going through treatment for stage 3 inflammatory breast cancer, Yamilei Socorro’s main concern this week was that others learn about the disease.

“It’s a rare cancer that women should know about,” said Socorro, who lives in Pleasantville and teaches Spanish at Egg Harbor Township High School. “For example, the breast can turn red and people will think it’s a cyst – but it’s not.”

Inflammatory breast cancer is hard to self-detect, she said; a little redness and some pain are the only clue.

“There’s no lump at all, so you can’t detect it,” Socorro said in an interview Thursday, Oct. 27. “Mine showed up in an ultrasound – it was the second ultrasound.”

To offset some of her expenses, friends are throwing a Pretty in Pink Beef and Beer Benefit 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9 at Charlie’s Bar & Restaurant, 800 Shore Road, Somers Point. The $20 admission will include roast beef, wings, salad, domestic draft beer, soda, coffee and tea. The event isn’t for her students – only for those 21 and older.

Socorro, 30, said she developed symptoms less than a year ago.

“In December 2010 I had this red spot,” she said. “It could have passed for a rash. They did an ultrasound and thought it might be a cyst.”

She returned to her gynecologist in June and said she still had the redness and pain.

“I got an appointment with an AtlantiCare breast specialist,” Socorro said. “We redid the tests, got a mammogram and another ultrasound. After the ultrasound the doctor said it could be an infection or cancer.”

She was scheduled for a biopsy, got the results July 21, and arranged to go to Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia.

“I went to Fox Chase right away. I got my paperwork all together. It took about a week. They did an MRI, took blood samples and did a PET scan,” she said.

The magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography scan showed that the cancer was contained to her left breast and the lymph nodes in her left arm.

“The next week I started chemotherapy,” Socorro said. “I just finished 12 weeks of the standard doses. I had another MRI Tuesday. It’s shrinking.”

Her next step is four biweekly sessions of a form of chemo that is tougher to take.

“On Jan. 3 I’ll have the last of the hard treatments,” Socorro said. “Then they’ll do another assessment and say it’s either more chemo or surgery. If everything is good, then I’ll have surgery by the end of February.”

Saying she wants to be cautious, Socorro plans to have both breasts removed.

“After surgery there’s one month of radiation,” she said. “Then I’ll be free of cancer.”

Her positive attitude is reflected in her nonstop smile – even while discussing some scary procedures.

“The only good part about this is you have good friends, family, colleagues, the church and school,” Socorro said. “I belong to Oasis Church in Pleasantville. It’s these things and God, basically.”

Socorro started her teaching career at Egg Harbor Township High School 10 years ago, the same year she moved to Pleasantville.

She and her husband, Freddy Mercedes, have two children: Yellian, 4, and Yadelis, 2.

Socorro said she and her two sisters all have first names that start with Y. She has passed that on to her children, who also share the same birthday – born Dec. 1, two years apart.

She said the high school is a nice place to work.

“I have great colleagues,” Socorro said.

But that’s not the half of it, according to fellow teacher and best friend Julianne Reinhardt.

“She’s always doing things for others,” she said. “She’s heavily involved with the Hispanic Alliance of Atlantic County. They have a pageant each year, and they provide mentors and aid for college.”

She started a Hispanic American Club at school, which became a victim of recent budget tightening, as well as an International Night that gave scholarships in memory of Lourdes Castro, a student who died in 2007.

Reinhardt said she was a year older than Socorro when she started her career at EHT in Socorro’s second year of teaching.

“We taught across the hall from each other,” she said. “We had lunch together. We shared mutual students. We just became really good friends.”

The two went to Puerto Rico together for spring break, and Reinhardt is the godmother of one of Socorro’s children.

“I can’t thank everybody enough,” Reinhardt said. “We work with an amazing group of people. And she would do this for anybody else. She’s done things like this for the community for years.”

She said that all the departments at school are working together for their colleague.

“The staff is above and beyond,” she said. “Football coach Tony DeRosa convinced his players to buy ribbons to raise money, and then he and the coaches matched the donation.”

Items to be raffled include gifts from Sorella's Hair Salon, Island Sun Tanning and Shea's Cafe in Galloway, where Reinhardt lives, and from AtlantiCare Life Center, Bob's Garden World, Outback Steakhouse, Berkshire Bar and Grille and Primo's - Walt's Original Pizza in Egg Harbor Township.

“The people from the community and from Egg Harbor Township High School are all coming through,” Reinhardt said.

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