When a troop of American Heritage Girls in Raleigh County, West Virginia, discovered that one of their troop leaders, Rachel Quesenberry, had breast cancer, they knew it was time to give back to someone who’d taught them so much about kindness and sharing.
It was a gesture born of faith and a love of community. American Heritage Girls is a “Christ-centered leadership and character development program,” according to its website. Its mission: To “build women of integrity through service to God, family, community, and country.”
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The American Heritage Girls organization, the piece reported, was proud of how the troop members embodied the group’s core values by helping someone in need. “I'm proud as a mom because my daughter is in the troop, but I'm proud of these teenagers that have put countless hours into this preparing it and promoting it,” organizer and vice president of the troop, Leigh Korn, told WVVA.
She added, “Rachel is just one of those people that would give you the shirt off of her back. She's so wonderful and loving to our girls and we just want to teach our girls to give back to other people.”
The funds reportedly go directly to Quesenberry.
The importance of support systems during cancer
We know that for people diagnosed with cancer, receiving support from friends and family can help ease the challenges inherent in their journeys. When the American Heritage Girls troop rallied around their leader, their show of kindness not only honored her work, but undoubtedly lifted Qusenberry’s spirits.
It’s not surprising that survivors often make a point of thanking those in their support networks. Tracy White, for instance, a two-time cervical cancer survivor, took the time in an interview with SurvivorNet to pay tribute to all those who helped throughout her journey, from diagnosis and treatment to the cancer’s subsequent recurrence. Having an assist from loved ones, she said, made a world of difference and helped her to heal.
“I had so many friends that stepped up,” Tracy explained. “Two people in particular. One is a nurse … she lives in Ohio, and she came out so many times. Another best friend who is locally here in New Jersey, she would also come and take care of me. She would entertain my son when we needed a rest.”
So many others stepped up, as well. “I couldn’t have done it without all of them,” Tracy said.
Information about faith and prayer during cancer
For a lot of cancer survivors, faith and prayer are extremely important to the recovery process. "I knew that if I just put my faith and trust in God, that I would be okay," breast cancer survivor Sharonda Vincent told SurvivorNet about her cancer journey.
Sharonda discovered a lump in her left breast the day before she turned 30, with just over a month until her wedding. Her doctor initially dismissed her concerns, but follow-up tests confirmed that it was stage 2B breast cancer. "It was hard for me. I felt as if I was being punished," she said.
Breast cancer survivor Sharonda Vincent on the role of faith and God during cancer.
But after chemotherapy, radiation and hormone replacement, Sharonda is doing well. She’s currently a social service advocate at the Public Defender’s Office in Philadelphia.
Sharonda’s message: Don’t give up hope. Educate yourself and live every day to the fullest. "Breast cancer is no longer the end of the world," she said.
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