ELLSWORTH, Maine — According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, in 2024, more than 3,000 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer.
During National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, survivors and advocates are stressing the importance of early detection and providing support to those impacted.
Breast cancer survivor Brooke Ismail did not know anyone who had breast cancer when she was diagnosed in 2013.
"After all my surgeries and such when I was finished with all of that I decided to start [a] group because I thought it would be comforting to be able to talk to someone," Ismail said.
In 2015, she founded the Open Arms Breast Cancer Support Group to create a safe space for others going through the same journey.
"I thought that there was a need for that in our area, you know, a patient-to-patient or a peer-to-peer type group that we can kind of share and meet," Ismail said.
The support group meets on the first Sunday of every month at the Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center at 2 p.m.
"When somebody is in the group and they know of a neighbor or friend or they hear somebody that has a diagnosis they reach out to them so it gives them the confidence that they need that they lacked when they first had the diagnosis," Angela Fochesato, the executive director of the Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center, said.
The organization provides services to individuals in Washington and Hancock counties like transportation, home-cooked healing meals, and assistance with going to the doctor.
"We just try to take off as much things off their plate as possible to help them be able to concentrate on getting well," Fochesato said.
That's why during Breast Cancer Awareness Month survivors and advocates are empowering people to come together.
"I think it's important for women to just be in it together," Ismail said. "You can feel very alone when you’re going through breast cancer, so it's important to reach out and have that support of breast cancer patients and survivors."
To learn more about the Open Arms Breast Cancer Support Group, click here.