The Cancer Club

Cancer has given me some opportunities that not every one has the chance to have...then again, trust me, you do not wish to have these opportunities, either.  We all know about the Moms Club you join when you have a baby - you realize that you are in some kind of amazing sisterhood that you were vaguely aware of, but now finally understand.  In a very similar fashion, there is the Cancer Club...in my case, the Young Women's Cancer Club, which is comprised of all women who, when they go in for their checkups and look around them quickly notice the major age gap between the vast majority of patients present and themselves.  It is a very surreal experience as every time (every time!) I go in I look around and think, "I just don't belong here."

Many of us are moms.  Many of us are moms to babies and/or toddlers.  Officially, this group is known as the Young Survivors Coalition (YSC), but you don't have to join YSC to be a member of the club.  If you are under 50 and have breast cancer, you belong.  We can complain to one another about our aches and pains, we share our fears and concerns, we shout our joys and triumphs, and we worry just a little bit less. We get our questions answered by people who have been there.

Through this group I have met some amazing and wonderful women; strong, courageous, resilient, and phenomenally kind.  You may have met some of these women, but unless you are a part of the "club" you probably won't get to see the side of them that I do.  I am very grateful for these women.  

Conversely, I am super-frustrated, annoyed, and dismayed.  Almost every day someone new joins the Facebook group.  We all say, "Welcome!" but what we are really thinking is, Not again.  Why are you here?  Why are we all here?  And, then the worst day comes when one of the women you have gotten to know announces to the group that their cancer is back (or never went away).

I am new to this group, so this is my first time.  I have been laughing at her responses and posts for months now.  She is crazy funny and finds the humor in everything.  Her positive attitude and hilarious posts led me to message her a month or so ago and I learned more about her and her type of breast cancer.  She made me laugh and I tell you, sometimes, that is everything.

Her name is Heather.  She has a three-year old daughter and the only reason she doesn't have more kids is because cancer treatments have robbed her of that opportunity.  Her cancer is back (or probably never left). It is now in her liver and bones and the reality is that her life is going to be cut short.  My heart is breaking, but she is still cracking jokes.

If you would like to help Heather to take her daughter to Disney World, or the Kalahari, or both or even more additional amazing places with the time she has left, it would mean the world to me.  Walks and runs and donations towards research are a gift to all of us, but for Heather it is now about perseverance and moxie (and a lot of ravignation).

Heather's Go Fund Me - http://www.gofundme.com/dtrdac

Whether or not you are able to monetarily help Heather out, please use your power of prayer!  You are some phenomenally powerful prayer people and if you can give half of what you gave to me, to Heather, then she is going to do amazing.  Thank you!!!!!

Go get 'em, Heather!