New Brunswick woman going door to door to help save breast cancer survivors’ retreat

A New Brunswick breast cancer survivor isn’t shy about her goal of raising $14,000 so that she and other breast cancer survivors can continue their two-decade-long tradition.

“I’m going to every business in Fredericton to see if I can get support for our wellness weekend that we have in Saint John once a year,” said Cathy DeLong.

So far, her efforts have produced $800 in donations for the conference, which is organized by the New Brunswick Breast Cancer Network.

“I’m determined. I’m going to do it,” DeLong said.

“I stood up in front of 65 girls at the last retreat, I said: ‘If I have my way, this retreat is going to keep going.’”

The objective of the retreat is to create an atmosphere of acceptance.

The survivors meet oncologists, listen to guest speakers and work with mental health professionals and dieticians.

Following the merger of the Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, funding for the New Brunswick Breast Cancer Network was cut by 85 per cent.

The group now has to fund the retreat themselves, but many of the survivors are too ill to work.

Cathy says that is why she visited over 25 businesses on Tuesday between shifts as a personal support worker.

Greg Marks, owner of the CGM Denture Clinic, was happy to contribute $100.

“I wish her all the best luck in the world, and she will meet her goal for sure, and I will, obviously, donate a few more bucks towards this organization to help them out,” said Marks.

DeLong says the retreat is an opportunity for ladies of all ages and stages of cancer to connect and share their knowledge.

That’s part of what has made her determined to raise the money.

“I am going to do this,” she said.

The wellness weekend has been held annually at the Villa Madonna Retreat House in Rothesay, N.B.

It’s open to all women across the province who have survived cancer or are patients.

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