Wilton mom Lisa Williams has much that she’s thankful for. Four-years free of breast cancer, she’s hosting a fundraiser for a the Breast Cancer Survival Center (BCSC), a non-profit organization that she says has continued to give her incredible support. The fundraiser takes place today at Peachwave Frozen Yogurt in Wilton, from 5-9 p.m., where 15-percent of the proceeds will be donated to BCSC.
The Breast Cancer Survival Center’s mission is to provide support and education for post-treatment breast cancer survivors and their families in Fairfield County. They offer support and discussion groups, a speaker series featuring experts in the field of cancer related subjects, awareness events, weekend- and day-long retreats and a quarterly newsletter.
Williams was diagnosed in Sept. 2010, and she had a lumpectomy just two months later. She calls 2011 her “banner year”: she kicked off four months of chemotherapy in January, only to have to undergo a double mastectomy and 28 subsequent radiation treatments, which she completed in August of 2011.
Through it all, the BCSC became a lifesaving, important resource.
“This non-profit is near and dear to my heart,” she says. “I have attended some of their support groups at the Wilton Library. It is important for me to go to support groups that are not in a hospital but in a non-medical setting. I spent way too much time in hospitals. Also, I have gone on two of their weekend-long retreats at St. Brigitta’s in Darien, which have been amazing, with women of all ages who have been through it. We deal with any issue and difficult emotions the women are dealing with, from fear of reoccurrence coupled with survivor’s guilt, ongoing physical pain, body image issues, nutrition, exercise and more.”
She adds that there’s been both a lot of laughter but a lot of tears too.
“BCSC has helped me deal with the emotional side of having friends fighting cancer. I was a very good friend with Pam Cole, [a Wilton woman] who lost her battle last summer. Survivors guilt coupled with a fear of reoccurrence is a complex emotional place to be. The retreats are a safe place to explore and manage a variety of emotions that survivors feel. Pam helped me so much when I was sick with guidance, love and support. I am paying it forward in her memory.”
To learn more about the Breast Cancer Survival Center, visit the Center’s website. Peachwave is located at 142 Old Ridgefield Rd.