Prominent political wives make statement on women’s health

Iowa’s First Lady and the wife of Senator Charles Grassley are co-hosting aconference on “mature” women’s health issues in Des Moines on November 3rd. Barbara Grassley is a breast cancer survivor, too, and Christie Vilsack hasa family history of breast cancer, too.Linda Ellerbee, a former network t-v reporter who survived breast cancer,will be the keynote speaker. The conference will feature a sessionencouraging Iowa’s “mature” women to become politically active, too. Vilsacksays women live longer than men and need to take repsonsibility for theirown health care issue.Grassley says the sessions on caregiving will be important, as you often see70-year old children taking care of 90-year old parents.Grassley’s mother and her aunts died of breast cancer.Christie Vilsack, who soon turns 50, says Grassley — who turns 67 this week– is a role model.