Strength in the Storm: April’s Survivor Spotlight

Sponsored by Grand Pacific Resorts

Baseball players know the pressure of a full count — three balls, two strikes, and everything riding on the next pitch. For April’s featured survivor, life has felt much the same: standing at the plate after a series of devastating losses, still hoping for a winning swing.

After battling breast cancer, she believed the hardest part of her journey was nearing its end. Instead, life delivered a heartbreaking series of events that took nearly her entire support system away within a matter of weeks.

Her mother died following a tragic fall on Thanksgiving night in 2023. Just weeks later, on Christmas Eve, the aunt she describes as her lifelong “rock” passed away after complications from Parkinson’s disease. Then, on New Year’s Day 2024, her best friend — whom she considered a sister — died from pneumonia.

Losing three of the people closest to her within a 40-day period left her reeling.

“To lose my entire support system in such a short time knocked the wind out of me,” she says.

Her grief was compounded by the earlier loss of her father, who had also battled both breast cancer and Parkinson’s disease. By the time she completed her own breast cancer treatment, she found herself facing a future that felt painfully lonely.

Yet even amid profound loss, her life has continued to be defined by service and compassion.

A former special education teacher, she now volunteers as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) with the Special Olympics. Helping others has always been a central part of her life, and she continues to give her time and energy to support those in need.

But after years of caregiving, teaching, volunteering, and fighting cancer, she recognizes the importance of allowing herself a moment of healing.

“I feel like I do a lot for others,” she explains. “But it’s time for me to celebrate me.”

That opportunity may come through the work of Send Me On Vacation (SMOV), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing restorative vacations for underserved women battling breast cancer.

The organization’s mission is to provide survivors with a chance to step away from treatments, stress, and the emotional toll of illness by offering healing vacations that nurture the body, mind, and spirit.

For April’s survivor, the possibility of such a retreat feels deeply meaningful. Her family knew she had always dreamed of visiting tropical beaches and experiencing new destinations. She believes they would want her to continue living fully, even after everything she has endured.

“SMOV is exactly what my family would want for me,” she says. “They knew how much I loved tropical beaches and dreamed of going to exciting places.”

Today, she sees the opportunity for a restorative vacation not simply as a trip, but as a turning point — a chance to move forward with hope instead of simply surviving day to day.

“I want the opportunity to feel lucky and honored with the chance of living instead of just existing,” she says.

Through the support of sponsors such as Grand Pacific Resorts, programs like Send Me On Vacation continue to offer survivors moments of peace, restoration, and renewed purpose after life-changing battles with cancer.

Those interested in becoming a recipient, donor, or sponsor can learn more by contacting backuscathy@gmail.com or visiting www.sendmeonvacation.org.

• February Send Me on Vacation Survivor
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• October Send Me on Vacation Survivor
• September Send Me on Vacation Survivor

Send Me On Vacation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides breast cancer survivors in need with the opportunity to initiate the process of emotional healing through a vacation experience. To learn more about SMOV or donate, go to: https://sendmeonvacation.org/donate/