A cancer diagnosis can be an isolating experience.<\/p>\n
Throw a pandemic in the mix, and that feeling of loneliness intensifies.<\/p>\n
In 2019, Cathy Commisso, was diagnosed with breast cancer before being plunged into lockdown. Living alone, Cathy was cut off from her support system at a time she needed them the most.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was at home, staring at the same four walls everyday\u2014and no one could come around to visit,\u201d says Cathy.<\/p>\n
This was until Cathy found solace through Wellspring Cancer Support. After taking part in several programs, she was able to build a network of peers that understood her journey\u2014 and that included Laura Smith.<\/p>\n
Before the pandemic, Laura was also diagnosed with breast cancer, and had completed her eight-week Cancer Exercise Program at Wellspring but was aching for more. When lockdown hit, Wellspring\u2019s centres were closed but were offering online programs, including exercise videos. Laura saw this as an opportunity to gather the friends she made at Wellspring to establish a weekly workout routine.<\/p>\n
While the group was initially established for group workouts, it has since formed into something greater\u2014and they still meet to this day.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s our own friendship support group in a way, a chance for us to all chat and share tips about our cancer journeys,\u201d says Laura. \u201cWe began regularly meeting together and inviting other Wellspring members who we met through Wellspring programs\u2014that is how I met Cathy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Most of the group still haven\u2019t met in person. But in September of 2023, Cathy and Laura met each other at Wellspring Birmingham Gilgan House for the very first time. The reunion was happy and emotional. It cemented something deeper for both\u2014that their friendship extends beyond the computer screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe usually see each other through a little box on the screen\u2014but the in-person version is much better! I remember thinking, \u2018Wow, Cathy, you\u2019re so beautiful\u2014and you\u2019re real!\u2019\u201d says Laura.<\/p>\n
\u201cMeeting Laura for the first time\u2014I was so elated I can\u2019t even express it. I finally got to see her in person, on neutral ground at Wellspring,\u201d says Cathy.<\/p>\n
Since September, Cathy and Laura have continued their in-person meet-ups, with Cathy even taking part in a cancer fundraiser that Laura had organized. Today, they both acknowledge the significant role Wellspring played in their lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has been a journey for both of us. Wellspring has been a major part of that, and we\u2019ve made some beautiful friends along the way,\u201d says Cathy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is nice to have people that have gone through the same journey as me\u2014who have had treatments and experienced the same side effects. I probably wouldn\u2019t be as far along on my own breast reconstruction journey if it weren\u2019t for the friends I made through Wellspring,\u201d says Laura.<\/p>\n
Cathy encourages anyone looking to join Wellspring to make that leap, because they might make a lifelong friend like she has with Laura.<\/p>\n
\u201cWellspring was there for me when I was at my lowest and the amazing group of people that I have met I will never forget,\u201d says Cathy.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything I have learned goes back to Wellspring. Thank you for all you do because without you, we wouldn\u2019t know about these options. It makes our journey easier,\u201d says Laura.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A cancer diagnosis can be an isolating experience. Throw a pandemic in the mix, and that feeling of loneliness intensifies. In 2019, Cathy Commisso, was diagnosed with breast cancer before being plunged into lockdown. Living alone, Cathy was cut off from her support system at a time she needed them the most. \u201cI was at […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":8201,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"location":[],"class_list":["post-8200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-member-story"],"yoast_head":"\n