Stephanie Getz survived breast cancer with the help of friends and family. The former Ben-Gal cheerleader found an immense support network through Facebook; her page, Team Stephanie connects her with hundreds of people going through similar medical situations. This community of fellow cancer patients and loved ones prompted her to help start the Cincinnati chapter of the
Young Survival Coalition, a national organization dedicated to educating and aiding young women diagnosed with cancer.
“When I went through my cancer I did it solo,” Getz says, referring to official organizations focused on cancer care. “I had a few people I met at Christ [Hospital] and on Facebook that I talked to, but there wasn’t a patient navigator at that time to help me get with the right organizations. Deena Casey came on board at Christ as the patient navigator during my chemo and we met, but I was never referred to her. She had so many younger women being referred to her that asked for a group where they could meet up and talk with women their age going through the same things they were, so she looked into starting the Cincinnati chapter for that reason and asked a handful of us to lead it.”
The new group has had two formal meetings with about 15 in attendance. At the meetings, survivors and patients discuss their own lives, how cancer has changed it, what resources are available to them and who they can lean on.
“The best thing for someone with cancer is to be able to talk to others who have been there because there aren’t any black and white answers and the doctors are hesitant to answer questions because of that," Getz says. "In this organization, you can meet others like you and ask questions.”
Each meeting has a different theme: physical therapy and exercise, grief, wellness and even pampering, with a future meeting revolving around massages and cosmetics.
Informal meetings started springing up within the organization, where attendees share dinner or participate in a leisurely activity such as a group walk.
Getz is passionate about helping the community she’s become a part of: She interacts with her Facebook friends on her Team Stephanie page on a daily basis, sharing her experiences and simply being a willing ear to hear someone’s worries about cancer.
“I am lending my hats to women to use [during chemotherapy treatments] and then they will give them back to lend to someone else,” Getz says. “I didn’t miss a day of work except chemo days and three weeks for my mastectomy. I went in every other day including the days I had radiation. I just decided it wasn’t going to beat me. I am a very healthy person in that I continued to work out with my trainer and eat healthy. My fans on Facebook inspired me to get up every day even though they said I inspired them.”
For more information on Young Survival Coalition, visit www.youngsurvival.org.
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