Leaning on Family During a Breast Cancer Journey

In part five of CURE’s “Mind Over Matter: Cultivating a Resilient Mindset During Breast Cancer Treatment” webinar, Ricki Fairley, CEO of TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance; Hayley Brown, director of partnerships and programs at TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance; and Michelle Anderson-Benjamin, CEO and founder of The Fearless Warrior Organization, discuss ways others showed up for them, helping them to delegate tasks and take things off of their plates during their breast cancer journeys.

They added that this also applies to the caregiver, as they can get burnt out, too.

“You (have to) figure out what jobs you need to do for the sanctity of your family, the health of your family and what jobs you can get rid of,” Fairley said. “…You have to relinquish some of these things that we do as ‘supermom’ wearing the purple cape and give (those things) up for our mental health, for our emotional stability and for that of the family.”

SUMMARY

00:04 – Caregiving and communication with a loved one

• Hayley Brown shared her experience as a caregiver for her mother after her breast cancer diagnosis, including taking a term off from school, demonstrating family support.

01:14 – Delegating tasks and building a support network for mental health

• Michelle Anderson-Benjamin offered an example of how she leans on others; for example, her friend comes over to pick her daughter up, take her to do her hair and bring her back home.
• The panel recognized the importance of delegating tasks and building a support system, even if it means letting go of some control and “supermom” duties.

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