“When I first started attending Gilda’s Club in 2009, I was newly diagnosed with breast cancer,” shares Jamie Steckelberg, the Amy Nickles Above and Beyond the Call of Duty (ABCD) Award Winner for 2024. Jamie first came to Gilda’s Club as a member, attending Family Night with her partner and their three-and-a-half-year-old daughter.
Jamie’s connection with Gilda’s Club has evolved over the years, and she has left her mark on countless lives. As Lannia Stenz, Gilda’s Club Executive Director/CEO, shared during the volunteer celebration, “Over the past 15 years, we’ve had the joy of knowing Jamie in many roles: educator, writer, facilitator, and friend.”
How “Write to Heal” was born
The spark that eventually became “Write to Heal” started when Jamie was a Gilda’s Club member. “One week I was browsing the library at Gilda’s and a book fell into my hands off the shelf: “Words that Heal” by Sharon Bray. I researched and discovered that a professional writing organization called Amherst Writers and Artists facilitated training for those who wanted to create their own writing groups,” she remembers.
She decided to travel to a group in California, where the idea for “Write to Heal” was born.“While there, I immediately envisioned creating a group for people like me who enjoyed writing or journaling as a way of dealing with cancer,” she remembers. Jamie shared her idea with Kirsten, the Program Director at Gilda’s Club. Kirsten immediately supported it, and together they launched a group that has been going strong for several years.
Creating an unspeakable bond
When the pandemic hit, the group had to make another transition—moving to a virtual format. This change had a positive and unexpected outcome: it made the group more accessible to people across Wisconsin and to those currently undergoing treatment. During a time when people felt uncertain, the group bonded through their shared experiences and healing words.
As Jamie explains, “We share what we write with each other, sometimes our most intimate feelings, and create an unspeakable bond.”
Alyssa, a member of “Write to Heal,” is quick to sing Jamie’s praises. “I think one thing that can be hard when people you know have a cancer diagnosis is walking that line of being hopeful and encouraging, and also acknowledging that this SUCKS and it’s HARD. Jamie is an incredible leader in every sense, but she really does an incredible job of being realistic, honest, hopeful, and compassionate all at once.”
Alyssa continues, “Through her work, she opens the door for our creativity and souls to soar.”
“We just accept everybody for who they are.”
Jamie shares the importance of her group being accepting of everyone, regardless of their writing background. “We just accept everybody for who they are,” she explains. Some may not consider themselves a writer, and that’s OK- the group is open to all. Some of her attendees choose to simply listen to what others have written, while others find value in sharing their own words.
Jamie has also shared her expertise with other Gilda’s Club programs, including being a part of Mornings of Intention.
When Jamie was honored at our annual Volunteer Appreciation Event, the Community Room was filled with those who had been impacted by her volunteer work. Some members had only met virtually before, but all felt a strong connection through their shared experiences in the “Write to Heal” group.
Despite the clear impact of her volunteerism, Jamie is humble about being recognized. “I don’t think of myself as doing volunteer work because this group keeps me going. It is not work, and it is not a hobby. Amid all of the people who attend Gilda’s, I have found the deepest part of my soul by connecting and writing with others.”
“Write to Heal” takes place virtually on the second Saturday of each month. Check out our program calendar to learn more. To get a taste of what you might experience, click here to read a poem and a writing prompt that Jamie shared with attendees of our 2025 Volunteer Appreciation Event.
A taste of “Write to Heal”
Writing prompt from Jamie:
This prompt can begin with a short meditation.
Think of a favorite place, a quiet place, a place where you trust and feel safe at. Where are you? Describe this place in detail: what are you surrounded by? What animals are near you? What do you hear? Consider this as a good place for you to begin to call your spirit back. Are you alone or are there people with you? Ask the animals you are surrounded by to help you recall your spirit.
Your spirit may be sleeping. Coax it as you would a small child to wake up. Be gentle with your spirit. It may have been a long time since you have last met with your spirit. Greet your spirit. What stories would you like to share with your spirit? Remember spirits like to laugh too. Tell your spirit a funny story, an innocent story, a sad story. Share with your spirit how you found yourself at Gilda’s Club, how you first came to know cancer. Describe the people whom you have loved who have had cancer, the people who are still fighting, the people whom you have lost, the caregivers, and the ones who need care. Be gentle with your spirit as you tell them these stories. Remember to take deep breaths, fill your lungs anew, and keep sharing. Even when you are laughing aloud or tears are streaming down your face, be brave and talk to your spirit. Let them know how much you have missed them, how much you have longed for them, how much you need them. Ask your spirit to stay with you, apologize for not always paying attention to your needs, for sabotaging your spirit, for abandoning your spirit when it has not abandoned you.
Let them know how you are taking care of your whole self: physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional. Let them ask you what you still need to do to care for yourself better. Talk to them about your worries. What do you need to let go of? What practices or habits for self-care do you need to bring into your life? Describe to your spirit the greatest love in your life. Now find a mirror and gaze into your own eyes. Welcome your spirit back. Offer them your favorite snacks or the favorite snacks of an ancestor: animal crackers and orange soda (for your grandmother), hummus and beet juice. Find a nice, warm blanket for your spirit and take a rest. Ask your spirit to stay with you as you dream, as you wake, as you go about your day. Take your spirit out with friends and celebrate your reunion. Tell your spirit funny stories. Ask your friends to remind you of your spirit when you need reminding and promise to remind them as well. Share the spirit of Gilda’s Club with those who may need it and help them bring their spirit back too.