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Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition offers support to those in time of need Beth Anderson, a mother and a volunteer for Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition (BBCC), was shocked when she found out last December that she had breast cancer. “I was devastated,” said Anderson. “I’ve never been sick before… I never even get a cold.” But for Anderson, she found the help she needed in her friends at the Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition. This organization offers free services to those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and to those who have lost a family member to the disease. “They helped me in tremendous ways,” said Anderson. When Anderson met Debbie Basile, President and Co-founder of the organization, Basile told her that she would go with her to her biopsies. Basile was Anderson’s second set of ears, asking any questions that needed to be asked, and listening so she could help Anderson understand her condition and deal with it. “You try to listen but everything is really a fog,” said Anderson. The Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition was also there for Anderson when she was weak from treatments and could no longer handle all of the typical household chores. A woman came to her home to clean, and hot meals were sent to her and her family. At first, Anderson was reluctant to ask for help, however, she said, “Once I did, it was such a great relief.” The Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition was founded in 1993, and since then, it has educated the community on the disease, donated money to research and helped many people deal with breast cancer, both financially and emotionally. The coalition has helped educate the public about the disease by handing out information packets at community fairs and meetings. This packet includes a newsletter, which is published quarterly, support services information, brochures on the services offered by the BBCC, a breast health empowerment educational newsletter, and more. Services, like those offered to Anderson, are provided through the Lend-A-Helping Hand Program (LAHH) and the Patient Advocate Program. According to the BBCC brochure, “LAHH was designed to offer help to those diagnosed with breast cancer and relieve some of the everyday stresses and demands of life.” Some of the services that are offered through LAHH are grocery delivery, transportation to doctor appointments, and household services. Donna Jurasits, Vice President of the BBCC, coordinator of LAHH, and a breast cancer survivor, calls everyone who reaches out for help personally. “I discuss their needs, make a plan regarding how best to utilize available funds to help them and then connect them with a volunteer who puts the plans into place,” said Jurasits. The Patient Advocate Program sends a volunteer to help and support the patient during physician appointments. The volunteer listens to the information being provided to the patient and asks questions to help the patient get a clear picture of his or her condition. “After you are diagnosed… your head is just filled with stuff and it’s hard to remember everything that is being said,” said Basile. SOS is another program offered by the BBCC to help those who have lost a loved one to breast cancer. This program offers assistance with medical and funeral expenses, childcare, housecleaning and more. The programs are free with costs absorbed by donations as well as state and local grants. A large part of the organizations’s revenue also comes from fundraisers such as Chefs for a Cause which is held in May. But it takes more than dollars to keep up the kind of help and support that the BBCC provides every day. “None of this would be possible without the dedication of the BBCC volunteers,” said Baile. “The volunteers are the backbone of our organization.” “I began working with a young woman from Pakistan who was undergoing a very aggressive treatment,” said Jurasits. “She could barely take care of her four little children. LAHH helped her with transportation, housecleaning and child care.” As the woman’s condition worsened, BBCC did even more. Working through the maze of new regulations and restrictions in place in the post 9/11 era, Jurasits helped to arrange for the woman’s mother to come to the United States from Pakistan. “I was so doubtful about whether we could do it, but I knew how scared the woman was and how badly she needed to see her mother,” said Jurasits. “Many letters, phone calls and prayers later, and with the help of local politicians sympathetic to her plight, the client’s mother was granted a short visit to the US. I visited the client and her mom shortly after she arrived. They were so happy to be together and deeply grateful. I was absolutely humbled by the entire experience.”
To volunteer help for the BBCC or to receive services, call (631) 893-4110 or visit the BBCC on the web at www.babylonbreastcancer.org.
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