Support Connection Announces Ambassadors for Annual Support-A-Walk

NOTE: The individuals featured in this release are available for interviews. Please contact me to arrange.

For Immediate Release

DATE: July 7, 2021

CONTACT: Barbara Cervoni

Office: 914-962-6402 Cell: 914-548-1406

Email: barbara.cervoni@supportconnection.org

SUPPORT CONNECTION ANNOUNCES AMBASSADORS FOR ANNUAL SUPPORT-A-WALK

(Yorktown Heights, NY) Support Connection, Inc. announces the selection of the Walk Ambassadors for their Annual Support-A-Walk which will take place on Sunday, October 3, 2021. Walk Ambassadors are cancer survivors who represent the spirit and purpose of the Support-A-Walk.

The Walk brings attention to the needs of people affected by breast and ovarian cancer and raises funds for Support Connection’s free counseling and other support services for those affected by these diseases.

INTRODUCING THE 2021 SUPPORT-A-WALK AMBASSADORS:

Jacqueline Baker (Yorktown Heights), Ovarian Cancer Survivor: In December 2019 Jacqueline began experiencing an array of symptoms: digestive issues, bloating, feeling too full, losing weight. She wasted no time seeking answers but it took many tests and medical consults before she learned, in February 2020, that she had Stage 3 ovarian cancer. She says: “So many people think a Pap smear screens for ovarian cancer, but that’s not true. There is no screening for ovarian cancer.”

When Jacqueline had surgery on March 3, 2020, they found the tumors were too large to remove. So she went through 18 weeks of chemotherapy, at the height of the COVID pandemic, making it even more difficult and isolating. She says: “It was frightening and scary. I had my family and friends, but I still needed someone else to talk to. Support Connection was there to give me exactly what they do: ‘support’ living with ovarian cancer even in the middle of a pandemic!”

After Jacqueline’s chemo ended in July 2020, she had surgery again and now she’s on maintenance therapy. Through it all Support Connection’s services have helped her cope: meditation and exercise classes, educational webinars, and a support group where she connected with other women confronting similar issues.

Jacqueline says: “Support Connection was and still is a big part of my successful recovery. I faced many difficult challenges with my treatments but I ‘weathered the storm’ and came through strong, feeling like myself again and a very positive attitude.”

               

Always committed to making a difference in the community, Jacqueline attended her first Support-A-Walk in 2019. In 2020 she walked again, with a Team she called “Jackie O.”

Being a Walk Ambassador is very important to Jacqueline: "It gives me a platform to share my experiences with ovarian cancer. I hope my story will inspire other women, give them some comfort and sense of well-being, and let them know they don't have to go through this alone.”

Jacqueline believes everyone should participate in the Support-A-Walk and raise funds: “Support Connection provides many programs and services for women living with breast and ovarian cancer. Giving your time to participate in the Walk shows you care, encourages others to get involved, and brightens everyone’s day.” She adds: “No one should have to go through this difficult journey alone. The Walk spreads awareness and lets us come together as a community to support one another. You can make a difference for someone who has or has had cancer by just being there.”

Beth Gilinsky (Yorktown Heights), Breast Cancer Survivor: Because her mother had gone through breast cancer Beth was always vigilant about screening. In 2006 a biopsy revealed Beth had lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), where abnormal cells form in the breast's milk glands. It isn't cancer, but it indicates an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Beth called Support Connection for the first time when she got this news.

Eight years later, in 2014, Beth heard the words she hoped she’d never hear: she had breast cancer. Even though her cancer was caught early, Beth made the difficult decision to have a double mastectomy. “It’s a very personal choice. With all I’d gone through for so long – screenings twice a year, a biopsy almost every year - I didn’t want to continue to live with so much uncertainty.”

Beth turned to Support Connection again, speaking regularly to a Peer Counselor: “Talking to my counselor was so valuable. Sometimes I felt like the ‘lucky’ one, but it was still so hard. My counselor validated my feelings and my decisions and really helped me through it.”

Support Connection continues to mean a lot to Beth because she's very grateful for the help she received. She regularly attends events including the Support-A-Walk. Every year she walks and raises funds with a group of friends she calls “Beth’s Bosom Buddies.”

Beth is delighted to be a Walk Ambassador: “It’s so important to share Support Connection’s message. It’s an amazing organization. They give cancer patients, survivors and families a place to talk, vent, or ask for guidance. All the counselors have been there. They know, from experience, how you feel.”

Beth is clear about why others should join her and participate in the Walk: “Unfortunately, too many people are affected by breast or ovarian cancer. At my first Walk I was shocked to see how many people attended. Support Connection can only do their job if we support them with donations. The Walk is their biggest fundraiser. It’s a great day to do something to help those who are going through cancer.”

To donate to the Support-A-Walk, or to learn how to participate or fundraise, visit http://www.supportconnection.org/ or call 914-962-6402.

Support Connection, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization that provides free, confidential support services and programs to people affected by breast and ovarian cancer. Founded in 1996, Support Connection is based in Yorktown Heights, NY, but through our toll-free services and website we serve people throughout the country. To learn more, visit www.supportconnection.org or call: 914-962-6402 or 800-532-4290. Support Connection Breast and Ovarian Cancer Support: We’ve Been There. We Care.

C
Submitted by Carmel, NY

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