The Giving Ribbon offers support, resources to breast cancer
patients
A group of breast cancer survivors are looking to make things a
little easier for those who are newly diagnosed with the disease in
San Benito County by offering a guide to resources as well as
support.
The Giving Ribbon offers support, resources to breast cancer patients
A group of breast cancer survivors are looking to make things a little easier for those who are newly diagnosed with the disease in San Benito County by offering a guide to resources as well as support.
“One thing we want is to ask people to volunteer as survivor sisters or caregiver brothers or sisters,” said Jamie Inman, a breast cancer survivor who is the president of The Giving Ribbon. “We are real, living, breathing people who are available.”
The board of directors for the non profit includes Geri Johnson, Trisha Brem, Jamie Inman, Helen Beasley, Anna Wilson and Dennis Wilson. Some of the foundinger members have taken a behind-the-scenes role.
The goal of the survivor sisters is to connect those who are newly diagnosed with a mentor who has gone through treatment and remission. The caregiver sisters and brothers will be family, friends or others who have supported and cared for someone with breast cancer who will offer advice to caregivers. The volunteers will be trained through the American Cancer Society, but will be connected with breast cancer patients through The Giving Ribbon.
“One thing we run into is that [those diagnosed] don’t want to upset our families and they don’t want to upset us,” Inman said. “We hesitate to say some of the things we are thinking because we are trying to protect each other. Our families cannot know what we are going through.”
Those who have been diagnosed may be comfortable sharing concerns or worries with a survivor that they are not comfortable sharing with a doctor or family member, Inman said. Family and friends of someone who has been diagnosed may also be more comfortable talking with a former caregiver about their concerns or feelings.
“It is a safe place to really understand whatever feelings you are talking about,” Inman said. “You may be surrounded by family, and you are not alone. They are with you, but you don’t want to talk about your fear of dying because it scares mom. There is also the hope that I’ve been there and I’m alive.”
The other part of The Giving Ribbon’s mission is to provide information about resources in San Benito County or on the Internet for those who have been diagnosed.
“I experienced it first and a couple of my friends who are founders of The Giving Ribbon had the same experience,” Inman said. “Through our treatment we found that there is not a strong source of information services in the county. But if you go to the Internet there is a flood of information.”
To meet their goal of getting resources out to the community, the group has put together a brochure that will be available in doctors’ offices where those who are recently diagnosed are likely to look for information. Inman said the brochure is organized in such a way that treatment and support services are listed first since those are the things that a newly diagnosed patient will want to know first.
Then come other secondary concerns such as where to get wigs, massage or physical therapy or organic foods. Schipper Design, of San Juan Bautista, donated some of the time to design the brochure.
“Things are listed in order of urgency for a person who has been diagnosed,” Inman said. “They want to know, ‘Am I going to live? Am I going to lose my breasts?’ Then it’s, ‘Am I going to lose my hair?'”
The eventual goal is to list local businesses that offer services with a coupon for those places. For now, the brochure lists local and regional services, and information on how to connect with a survivor sister through The Giving Ribbon. When someone calls The Giving Ribbon, the volunteers will arrange to meet the person and will bring with them a tote bag that is brown, pink and white that has a DVD, a journal/calendar book and a neck warmer made by the Cienega 4-H group.
“It’s not screaming breast cancer and it’s not too frou frou,” Inman said. “Women going to chemo[therapy] have to sit for hours. It’s a practical tote that can carry food, books or a water bottle.”
Resources:
The Giving Ribbon – 1-800-963-1883
American Cancer Society
1-800-ACS-2345 (1-800-227-2345)
www.cancer.org
ww5.Komen.org
www.networkofstrength.org
www.cancer.net
www.cancercare.org
