Tip #5 – Contact Resources in your City

I have known about the organization CanCare for many years. CanCare’s mission statement is to “offer HOPE that comes from survivors sharing from their own experiences…”

I attended a Meet the President Coffee a few weeks after my surgery, I was eager to meet the president and find out more about what the organization had to offer. Cristina Vetrano, the president and CEO, was very welcoming and eager to meet me. She is truly dedicated to CanCare and to offering HOPE to those with cancer. I also met other volunteers that were cancer survivors. Everyone listened intently about my journey. I offered suggestions about thoughtful things that my friends, family, and coworkers did to help me during this time in my life that may benefit other cancer patients. They suggested that I receive a CanCare volunteer and I gladly accepted!

My CanCare volunteer called me and we talked about breast cancer and how our situations were similar and different. It was nice to talk to someone that was diagnosed with breast cancer at my age and it made it easier to relate to her because she walked down a similar path that I was walking down. She texted me the day I received my port and that helped ease my worries about the surgery. My CanCare volunteer texts me frequently to see how I am doing and offers me support and guidance throughout my journey. She also offers me HOPE!My friends and I attended our first CanCare Crawfish Boil in 2006. I wasn’t really a big fan of crawfish at the time, but that is when my crawfish addiction began especially with all you can eat crawfish, ha ha. My friends and I went to many CanCare Crawfish Boils throughout the years and created great memories. I wonder how many pounds of crawfish we ate throughout the years?

My husband and I attended the 13th Annual CanCare Crawfish Boil. Attending the Crawfish Boil as a person that was DIAGNOSED with cancer felt much different than  compared to years past. It was an overwhelming feeling being on the other side and knowing that thousands of dollars were being raised for an organization to help people like ME. The guest of honor spoke about how she was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer and how she overcame the disease with her doctors and CanCare volunteers by her side offering her HOPE!

I am excited that my blog has been posted under Helpful Info & Inspiration on the CanCare website!  I am eager to help people that have been diagnosed with cancer!