Breast Cancer Support Groups: SurvivingBreastCancer.org
If you're diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S., you need to know about this non-profit
Breast cancer support groups like SurvivingBreastCancer.org are our favorite kind, because they truly seek to help women – in the moment, in concrete ways.
This October, Amoena USA has partnered with the national non-profit (501c3), survivingbreastcancer.org, whose mission is to empower those diagnosed with breast cancer and their families, from day one and beyond. Survivingbreastcancer.org is an educational and virtual community platform founded by Laura Carfang, a young breast cancer survivor, in 2017.
Its beginnings as an online platform have resulted in a robust educational and virtual library – a hub for information when women need it most and are looking for a breast cancer support group online.
But SBC is much, much more than a website. Live events are part of the SBC landscape (including in-person events to come back in the wake of the pandemic), and the people who access their online information have become a community that thrives with interaction and participation.
Value, support, connection
Laura says that's the goal: "You cannot create a community without diving deep into the needs of the individuals you are serving. We take pride in getting to know our readership, our event attendees, and our podcast guests -- not just within the scope of breast cancer and surrounding conversations, but in the context of the day-to-day of human life.
"We are people first. While it is true that we are 'patients,' we are also moms, siblings, partners, lawyers, teachers, artists, entrepreneurs, and more. We are human. SBC provides value, support, and connection. And the only way to do so is by ensuring that our content, programs, and services are meeting the needs of the whole person." She’s convinced this is why participants are so responsive and engaged.
What makes a great breast cancer support group?
When she was diagnosed herself in 2017, Laura felt inspired to create the online community that she couldn’t find herself. She details it on her website:
“Living in Boston, one of the world’s great health care Meccas, and being a major metropolitan city, I thought it was going to be easy to find other women similarly diagnosed with breast cancer and make connections. I honestly thought that if I typed into Google, “breast cancer survivors in Boston,” I would find a thriving community ready to connect and share their experiences....Boston offers several support groups and forums which are great resources, but they are usually spearheaded by the hospitals. However, if you are working, it is hard to attend weekday afternoon sessions.”
Laura's story is so relatable; many women find that meeting people and getting plugged into a supportive community is more challenging than they thought. Especially during the month of October, "pink" is everywhere -- but that doesn't always mean actual support is.
“Our virtual support groups and services can alleviate that hindrance, as well as provide another option for comfort and connection,” Laura explains. SBC produces a regular podcast called Breast Cancer Conversations, weekly e-newsletters, writing workshops, a Breast Cancer Book Club… there’s no shortage of services on offer.
Support Group Services – Person to Person
“Monthly Metastatic Breast Cancer Webinars offer support with experts in the field. Our weekly Thursday Night Thrivers is a peer-to-peer support group. Holding a space with no agenda and without medical professionals allows for a more open dialogue. We listen, cry, share, and laugh, and the meetup takes on the vibe and needs of the attendees. Sometimes we talk about breast cancer, and other weeks, we catch up on vacation plans, back to school kiddo discussions, or the hardships of caring for aging parents. It’s a beautiful flow.”
Laura and her caregiver, partner and SBC board member Wiliam often attend breast cancer survivor conferences to share their message of inspiration, realness and support. One of her favorite memories happened in-person at an event. “A woman asked what it is that we do, and we responded by saying we inject positivity into the very fabric of a breast cancer diagnosis. After hearing this, the woman leaned over and gave Wiliam the biggest and longest embrace. It was special!”
Supporting Confidence and supporting SBC
To celebrate and honor breast cancer survivors in 2021, we are pleased to be able to give to this organization: Your purchase of our Pink October Sports Bra in a store near you or online, will help Amoena support SBC for its continued good work in the U.S. and beyond.
Read more about our October giving campaign here.
We’re certain that Survivingbreastcancer.org will continue its positive impact on the survivor community for years to come. Laura confirms that: “We are taking this survivorship movement forward by leveraging technology, creativity, passion, and heart. It’s an altruistic approach to living and we know that our SBC Team is serving a higher good.”
