+ Bill Taibe Illness is isolating. Friends and neighbors may retreat because
“Cancer has taken my aunts, uncles,
they don’t know what to say or do. If a loved one is sick, you may
and close friends. I want to do what-
put their needs above your own. Unfortunately, when we are forced
ever I can to help prevent others from
into solitude is when we crave togetherness. The times we can’t
suffering this type of loss.”
take our support system for granted are the times we need it most. Sorrow is diminished when shared with others. The portraits
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gave people a medium to express their grief in a unique and relatable manner. The unexpected popularity of AWARE CT’s campaign revealed an underswell of residents affected by cancer and their need to tell their story. Although AWARE CT’s goals were to
William and Wilson Herrera
increase awareness and raise funds for the Cancer Couch, they
“Our mother is a warrior. She fought
did much more: They enabled people to speak up and advocate for themselves and their loved ones. They celebrated people who are helpless to a ravaging disease. They created a community. While an awareness campaign created a community of healing
breast cancer three times. It is her strength as a survivor that gives us hope for a cure.”
bereavement, the COVID pandemic threatens to dismantle it with fear and disbelief. Four days after “Hope Starts Here” our schools closed due to the deadly global pandemic. Town health officials condemned social interaction and families self-quarantined. Westport residents are now tested by the myriad of emotions that accompany debilitating illness. Small business owners are weighing insurmountable financial losses against the health of their employees and community.
When you read this you’ll have much more information than when I wrote this, as our publication is completed two months in advance.
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Already, though, we see glimpses of connectivity. On Facebook we inform but don’t deride those afflicted with corona virus. We find ways to patronize and support local business
Irene Friedman
and restaurants while our health professionals warn us against
“I was diagnosed with Stage 4 breast
walks with teenaged family members who would otherwise never be
cancer in 1979. It has been an ongoing
seen with us in public.
battle for all these years.”
social interactions. We’re surrounded by family. We even take long
To paraphrase an AWARE CT narrative by breast cancer “survivor” Michelle Didner, Westport can be whole in our brokenness. We are not survivors, we are warriors. And we are humble and grateful.
CityLifestyle.com/Westport
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