CARY, N.C. — There’s no question a cancer diagnosis is life changing, but it impacts more than just physical health. According to the American Cancer Society, nearly one in four people diagnosed with breast cancer experience depression.
It can lead to memory loss, fatigue, anxiety and even PTSD. But a woman in our state is working hard to meet fellow survivors on their journey, offering them love, support and care.
Jackie Cromity spent a majority of her life battling cancer. She lost her mom to breast cancer at age 8, and her father to cancer a few years back. And now she’s facing yet another challenge.
“Right now, I have brain cancer. It’s in my lungs, as well as in my stomach. It’s the fourth time I’ve been through this,” Cromity said.
“They found over 30 lesions in my brain,” she added.
From intense radiation and chemotherapy to lumpectomies and mastectomies, Jackie’s seen firsthand the problems that arise with the disease. She’s faced hair loss, swelling and even a lack of skin-colored prosthetics for women of color.
“I can’t tell you how many women come in suicidal. I’ve had women share that they won’t even let their husbands see or touch them. They feel they should have died because of the quality of life they currently have,” Cromity said.
So Jackie decided to build a place for women like her to turn. She created Survivor Friendly, a one-stop shop that helps cancer patients in their delicate journey to recovery.
“No woman should ever be stuffing their bra because they don’t think they have support,” Cromity said.
“We want to uplift them when they come through the door no matter what stage of the journey they’re in,” Cromity added.
The shop is filled with port friendly clothing and fitted prosthetics for all skin colors, with mastectomy bras, cosmetic eyebrows and even wigs.
“A lot of people lose their hair like I did. People see me and say, you don’t look sick. No, my hair is gone,“ Cromity said while removing her wig.
It’s a place to feel empowered that educates women about what’s covered by insurance and offers the essentials for free to those who can’t afford them.
"For us to do something as simple as give them a prosthetic, or give them a mastectomy bra, that can make them feel pretty, or women that can feel like she can step in front of her husband and feel whole again, or just her looking in the mirror and looking whole again. To me, that’s giving them a piece of life back," Cromity said, fighting back tears.
Now, her mission is growing. What started as a couple of shops in the Triangle is expanding across the state, with new permanent locations and packing parties to help send essentials to the people who need them the most.
“We’re packing bags today for Survivor Friendly. This is something that’s very near and dear to my heart. I actually have a friend that’s battling breast cancer right now,” said Candace Beverly, of First Bank in Raleigh, who spent her day volunteering to pack care packages for the foundation.
On this day, Beverly and other volunteers from First Bank in Raleigh are stuffing bags with small but meaningful gifts like lipstick, nail polish and eyelashes, to help boost self esteem.
“I’ve seen her go through a lot of this stuff and the loss that she’s had from her hair to not getting her nails done and eyelashes. And just the loss of self that you feel as a woman. So this is really special to me,” Beverly added.
Each bag is also stuffed with a handwritten note, to let those fighting know someone cares.
“When someone takes this out and they’re feeling a little down, or they don’t feel like being courageous today, they can know that there’s people out here thinking about them and praying for them, and that they have a village,” said volunteer LaQuan Lucas Harris, while writing messages letting know cancer patients how much she cares.
It's a village led by Cromity, who hopes their reach will only continue to grow.
“I feel like it’s my mission to help people live while they’re going through their treatment,” Cromity said.
Now, Survivor Friendly has locations in Cary, Shelby, Winston-Salem, Raleigh, Durham, Thomasville, Gastonia and Fayetteville, and Jackie wants to expand their reach to people in rural parts of the state that can’t make it to one of their stores for a fitting.
That effort costs money, so they’re holding a fundraiser this fall, calling on the public to help.
The Survivorship Support Fundraising Event is taking place on Sept. 10 from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Tickets are $125, while table sponsorships are also available.
The dress code is business casual and Cromity says support and auction item donations are greatly needed. For more information, visit their website or call 888-432-4747.