W OM E N OF A C HI EV EM EN T
J e s si ca Mu rle y & Kat eri na G mi t t er Co - f o u nd e r s, H ealing Pines Respit e
acknowledge the gift of healing lies within myself” is Katerina Gmitter’s favorite mantra. It’s one of the affirmations that she and Jessica Murley share with the women diagnosed with cancer who attend the two-night hotel stays organized through their nonprofit Healing Pines Respite. The two women have lived across the street from each other in Lake Hogan Farms for five years and became fast friends, bonding over shared experiences as stay-at-home moms. When Jessica’s father, artist Fred Good, died from cancer in 2017, she knew her neighbor could understand the loss. Katerina’s mother died of breast cancer, and Katerina herself was diagnosed at the age of 32. At the time, her son, Nate, was 2, and her daughter, Lillian, was just 4 months old. “I was sick from chemo and changing diapers and dealing with 2-year-old tantrums,” she recalls. “My healing was … the last thing on my mind.” The pair founded Healing Pines Respite in 2019 to help women diagnosed with cancer heal through respites, connection with others and nature-based activities. “We joined forces together,” Jessica says. Katerina drew on her expertise from leading a Young Survival Coalition support group through the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Jessica pulled from her career as a social worker, as well as motivation to honor her father. The kinship between the two also informed the purpose of the nonprofit. Jessica says they both feel strongly that women need a way “to connect with other survivors to know that they’re not alone.” The retreats for groups of eight to 10 women who have been diagnosed with cancer, or are up to two years post-treatment, are offered at no cost several times a year at The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary and The Carolina Hotel in Pinehurst. Katerina knows firsthand how taxing a diagnosis can be. “Your life after is filled with uncertainty and inability to plan, isolation, distress and fear,” she says. A break from that weight can open the door for healing. The program includes free time between group meals, yoga, art and writing activities to ensure that women have opportunities to rest and reflect. Group sizes are kept small to cultivate connection. “We want women to be able to take the skills that they learn or these connections [they make] and bring them home … to foster a sense of well-being, to go from surviving to thriving,” Katerina says. Healing Pines Respite also offers a half-day spa experience at Hillsborough Spa and Day Retreat that includes a yoga class. Periodically, Katerina and Jessica also host yoga, hikes and meditation sessions. Despite pausing respites in 2020, Katerina and Jessica’s motivation hasn’t lost momentum. They are tentatively planning to resume the gatherings in September and aim to host retreats as often as monthly to serve hundreds more women diagnosed with cancer. When they talk about the future, Jessica’s tone is optimistic, and Katerina’s tenacity is unflinching. “We’re really passionate about growing this,” Jessica says. “Our vision for carrying out our mission [after the first year] was furthered in a great way.” – by Renee Ambroso
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chapelhillmagazine.com
May/June 2021