Survivor Strong: 4 Amazing Stories of Women and Moms from the Abramson Cancer Center
Mother's Day is next weekend, and to celebrate all the women and mothers who are cancer survivors, we are sharing their stories on our blog.
If you are a mother, or have a woman in your life you'd like to honor this Mother's Day, please join us on our Facebook page, and share your own words of inspiration.
For three generations, the Barness family has been tireless advocates for cancer research and patient care in Philadelphia. Starting with the late Irma and Herbert Barness, continuing with sisters Nancy and Lynda Barness, and now keeping the tradition of philanthropy going, Jennifer and Daniel Stern, co-chairs of the Young Friends of the Abramson Cancer Center - the Abramson Cancer Center is grateful for the many generations who help sustain our mission.
This Mother's Day, help honor the courage and bravery of all women affected by cancer, and support life-saving research by making a gift in honor of the special women in your life.
Melanie Gaffney is a proud childhood cancer survivor, and a contributor to the Focus On Cancer blog. Today she is cancer-free, but lives with the after effects of her cancer treatments. In this excerpt from her blog, she discusses motherhood, what it means to her, and how she was worried she couldn't have children.
Before I ever pictured myself in the “what-do-you-want-to-be-when-you-grow-up” role, being a mom always foreshadowed any career or profession. I had a vivid concept/vision in my head about motherhood: the mother I would try to be, the hugs and kisses I would smother a child with, life lessons I would teach, even the sex -- I always envisioned boy and girl twins.
This was even after I was told that a baby, especially “babies,” might not be possible. I had come to terms with knowing that I might not be able to conceive, carry or deliver because of my cancer treatments and health limitations. I knew if I couldn’t conceive, I would adopt. I realized this about the age of 13. I know it sounds young, but I think when forced to battle for your life at a young age, your outlook and decisions about life tend to mature quickly.
Continue reading Melanie's story here.
Sandy Cohen is the Philadelphia group founder of the national organization, FORCE, which stands for “Facing Our Risk of Cancer Empowered.” She founded the group after she tested positive for BRCA1 and wanted to create a resource in the Philadelphia area for other women who were BRCA positive and needs education and support. In this blog excerpt, she discusses her BRCA status.
“I grew up with breast cancer,” says Sandy Cohen. “My grandmother died of breast cancer in her thirties, and consequently, my mother became obsessed with breast cancer, and worried she’d develop the disease herself.”
When Sandy’s mother developed breast cancer at 50, and passed away 4 years later, the cycle continued as Sandy became what she called “obsessed” with breast cancer herself.
She also became determined not to let fear of breast cancer rule her own life, and the lives of her two young children and family.
“Genetic testing for BRCA had just come out,” recalls Sandy. “And I decided to have the genetic testing after a lot of hesitation because I didn’t want to imagine my children going through life without a mother.”
Continue reading Sandy's story here.
Colleen Bronstein is a melanoma and breast cancer survivor, mother, artist, entrepreneur and a contributor to the Focus On Cancer blog. After her melanoma diagnosis in 1999, Colleen started her own business, Sun Threadz, which promotes skin cancer awareness and protection with clothing designed to protect skin from the sun’s harmful rays.
For me, paradise had always been sitting on the beach in a comfortable beach chair with a good book and nothing but the sounds of the ocean to relax me.
As a child, I spent summers in Cape May – a tradition I continued throughout my life.
The Bahamas are only a couple hours away so every spring, we were on the beach soaking up the rays and just so we were sure we had every sun angle covered, we had a pool put in our backyard.
Unfortunately, I was unaware that my favorite pastimes could cause cancer.
Continue reading Colleen's story here.
If you are a mother, or have a woman in your life you'd like to honor this Mother's Day, please join us on our Facebook page, and share your own words of inspiration.
Inspirational Women and the Power of Philanthropy
For three generations, the Barness family has been tireless advocates for cancer research and patient care in Philadelphia. Starting with the late Irma and Herbert Barness, continuing with sisters Nancy and Lynda Barness, and now keeping the tradition of philanthropy going, Jennifer and Daniel Stern, co-chairs of the Young Friends of the Abramson Cancer Center - the Abramson Cancer Center is grateful for the many generations who help sustain our mission.
This Mother's Day, help honor the courage and bravery of all women affected by cancer, and support life-saving research by making a gift in honor of the special women in your life.
I Survived Cancer, Now I Want a Family
Before I ever pictured myself in the “what-do-you-want-to-be-when-you-grow-up” role, being a mom always foreshadowed any career or profession. I had a vivid concept/vision in my head about motherhood: the mother I would try to be, the hugs and kisses I would smother a child with, life lessons I would teach, even the sex -- I always envisioned boy and girl twins.
This was even after I was told that a baby, especially “babies,” might not be possible. I had come to terms with knowing that I might not be able to conceive, carry or deliver because of my cancer treatments and health limitations. I knew if I couldn’t conceive, I would adopt. I realized this about the age of 13. I know it sounds young, but I think when forced to battle for your life at a young age, your outlook and decisions about life tend to mature quickly.
Continue reading Melanie's story here.
Determined Not to Let Fear Rule Her Life
“I grew up with breast cancer,” says Sandy Cohen. “My grandmother died of breast cancer in her thirties, and consequently, my mother became obsessed with breast cancer, and worried she’d develop the disease herself.”
When Sandy’s mother developed breast cancer at 50, and passed away 4 years later, the cycle continued as Sandy became what she called “obsessed” with breast cancer herself.
She also became determined not to let fear of breast cancer rule her own life, and the lives of her two young children and family.
“Genetic testing for BRCA had just come out,” recalls Sandy. “And I decided to have the genetic testing after a lot of hesitation because I didn’t want to imagine my children going through life without a mother.”
Continue reading Sandy's story here.
From Sun Worshipper to Skin Safety Advocate
Colleen Bronstein is a melanoma and breast cancer survivor, mother, artist, entrepreneur and a contributor to the Focus On Cancer blog. After her melanoma diagnosis in 1999, Colleen started her own business, Sun Threadz, which promotes skin cancer awareness and protection with clothing designed to protect skin from the sun’s harmful rays. For me, paradise had always been sitting on the beach in a comfortable beach chair with a good book and nothing but the sounds of the ocean to relax me.
As a child, I spent summers in Cape May – a tradition I continued throughout my life.
The Bahamas are only a couple hours away so every spring, we were on the beach soaking up the rays and just so we were sure we had every sun angle covered, we had a pool put in our backyard.
Unfortunately, I was unaware that my favorite pastimes could cause cancer.
Continue reading Colleen's story here.
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Mothers-Day,
patient-story
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