By Melodie Berry, Gilda’s Club member Hello, My Name is Melodie Berry. At 41, I had my first mammogram. Everyone told me I didn’t have to worry about anything because nobody gets breast cancer on their first mammogram and cancer doesn’t run in our family, so don’t worry! Surprise! I was the first one in…
Read MoreCaregiving Through Cancer
By: Joyce Carlin Sharing Gilda’s During my career as a social worker at UW Health Kids in Madison, I provided services to children diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers. I was fortunate to have met many incredible patients and families over the years. They taught me about life, unconditional love, and perseverance. They taught me…
Read MoreIho: Finding Hope
No one expects to receive a cancer diagnosis, but Iho was especially surprised. She worked in the medical field, led a healthy lifestyle, and was young. Despite all of her efforts to be proactive, cancer still entered her life. Iho was diagnosed with breast cancer one year ago. She first saw a Gilda’s Club brochure…
Read MoreDelicious Ambiguity
By Ben and Jenny, Gilda’s Club Members In her book It’s Always Something, the incomparable Ms. Radner was quoted as saying, “Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity.” Getting that diagnosis is a scary thing –…
Read MoreRenee: The Strength I Didn’t Know I Had
By: Renee Zemke I came to Gilda’s Club at the beginning of my treatment. There was a meal train in place, rides to treatment were organized, babysitting after school was taken care of, a caring bridge was set up and the whirl-wind was in full force. For me, despite all of the support, I felt…
Read MoreRachel: I No Longer Felt Alone
By Rachel, Gilda’s Club Member December 29, 2021 is a day forever seared in my life. The day that, at age 37, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. With no family history of breast cancer this was unexpected and a tidal wave of fear, loneliness, and uncertainty knocked me down. My story doesn’t start like…
Read MoreAlan and Amandalynn: Navigating a New Path
“Gilda’s Club was the reason our family was whole through everything we went through,” shared Amandalynn in the Gilda’s Club Madison 10th anniversary video. You may remember Alan and Amandalynn and their children Dmitri and Astraea. They were featured in our 10th anniversary video, sharing their moving story of navigating cancer with their young family….
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