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Effort underway to help displaced cancer patients

By MICHAEL BOYLAN
mboylan@TheCitizen.com

Bosom Buddies of Georgia and Renewal of Southern Crescent have teamed up to help breast cancer victims that were displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rouge is helping victims of the hurricane who have cancer but whose support systems have been hit hard by the storm.

Both Peachtree City resident Janet Beebe, the Support Groups Coordinator for Bosom Buddies, a support group for breast cancer survivors, and Carla Gober, an R.N. and owner of the Renewal boutiques, which provide wigs, turbans, prostheses and more to people with breast cancer, compiled several boxes of products, valued at over $5,000, to aid and assist breast cancer victims in Louisiana.

The boxes were shipped out Thursday afternoon and today there are hundreds of women in Louisiana that have received these products and can start to feel whole again.

“Going through cancer is hard enough when you are safe in the comfort of your own home,” said Gober. “When everything has been washed away and your support system is gone, I can’t even imagine how hard it must be.”

Beebe is a 22-year cancer survivor and Bosom Buddies has been meeting for and helping women diagnosed with breast cancer for 19 years. Gober, the daughter of cancer survivors, opened Renewal in March of 1998. There are now three locations, including one at the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory and one at the John B. Amos Cancer Center in Columbus.

Both women jumped at the chance to open their hearts to breast cancer victims that were also dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane. They also expect to be helping displaced victims who are brought to Georgia to continue their treatment.

For more information on Renewal, phone 770-719-9900 or visit www.myrenewal.net. Bosom Buddies has support groups all around the state. The Fayette group meets the second Tuesday of every month at The Gathering Place in Peachtree City from 7:30-9 p.m.

Bosom Buddies will also offer Camp Renewal and educational conference for facilitator of the support groups Sept. 24 and 25 at the Wyndham Peachtree Conference Center.

For more information on the camp or the support group and to find out how you can help, phone Janet Beebe at 770-487-4396 or e-mail her at janet.bosombuddies@comcast.net.