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Community Leaders Hope to Introduce Gilda’s Club to Atlanta
When comedienne Gilda Radner, renowned for her ingenious antics and lovable characters on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, she learned firsthand how cancer could transcend physicality and affect the day-to-day lives, the psyches and the spirits of people living with cancer. “Her cancer therapist Joanna Bull urged her to go [to a wellness center],” recalled Gene Wilder, fellow comedian and actor, and Radner’s husband. “She came home singing and dancing.” Following Radner’s passing in 1989, Wilder, Bull, and famous friends like actor Mandy Patinkin and critic Joel Siegel enlisted corporate and individual sponsors to open a gathering place in memory of Radner. It would be a place where other people living with cancer, regardless of their age, gender, ethnicity, type of cancer, or stage of therapy, could find information, confidence, fellowship and fun. In the summer of 1995, the inaugural Gilda’s Club opened its signature red door in New York City and offered the entire cancer community an opportunity to experience a non-institutional, warm, welcoming meeting spot where they could find a network of social and emotional support. Gilda’s Club has subsequently established more than 20 nonprofit affiliates across the United States and Canada, including the forthcoming Gilda’s Club Greater Atlanta. For Joanne Reilley, executive director of Gilda’s Club Greater Atlanta, this expansion is more than a professional endeavor. In December 1995, Reilley underwent treatment for breast cancer. Two years after her diagnosis, she came across a small ad for Gilda’s Club South Florida, where she was then living, and decided to spend some time volunteering. She began by providing clerical assistance, and after retiring from her successful computer consulting business, this self-described “planner” dedicated her skills to fundraising on behalf of Gilda’s Club. Reilley immediately saw the positive effect Gilda’s Club had on its members. “They could participate in yoga and other activities, and they were able to feel comfortable,” Reilley said, noting that Gilda’s Club is more than a cancer support group. “Our philosophy is different in the language,” she explained. “We are not fighting, battling, surviving … we are living.” Behind each red door, members learn how to live with cancer in their lives — whatever the outcome. This sentiment is reflected in the Gilda’s Club motto: Living with cancer? Come as you are. Clubhouse Tour From the newly diagnosed to those undergoing continuous treatment, Gilda’s Club welcomes all persons living with cancer, their family members, friends and colleagues, and offers everyone touched by cancer a system of psychosocial support that is a vital supplement to traditional care. “We are not experts in cancer. What we provide is the gathering place to come together to build a community of support where we can learn to live with cancer in our lives,” Reilley said. When Melissa Goehring’s sister was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 17, her mother spent almost an entire freshman year of college in the dorm room taking care of her. “My mother was the patient advocate,” said Goehring, board member and chair of communications for Gilda’s Club Greater Atlanta. “She learned about treatment. Caregivers have to be educated and have support.” Gilda’s Club is a priceless resource for those in similar situations. Through the member network, caregivers can discover educational and emotional tools to better equip them in taking care of loved ones and themselves. Each clubhouse is suited with cheerful décor, including a colorful mural depicting the specific community to which it serves. The homelike setting is a welcome respite from the institutional feel of clinics and medical centers that are all too familiar to those being treated for cancer. Activities include workshops and lectures by licensed professionals on topics from pain management and health insurance to nutrition and makeup lessons, as well as social events like potluck dinners and comedy nights. In addition to large meeting halls, within each clubhouse, specific areas are designated for relaxation or meditation, while other spots are reserved for group activities and art projects. Special rooms include a “Noogieland” playroom for children, and named for Radner’s self-penned book covering her personal experiences with cancer, an “It’s Always Something Room,” a room where members can spend personal quiet time when a retreat is needed. All services and activities provided by Gilda’s Club are completely free of charge and available to everyone in the support network. Customized Membership Though Gilda’s Club is non-residential, members feel at home and take pride in the sense of ownership that comes from feeling supported and accepted “as they are.” The Customized Membership Plan allows members to create a program tailor-made to best suit their needs according to their own standards. Newcomers first meet with a Program Manager to discuss the diverse activities and programs available to them. If a specific need has yet to be filled, for example, if a member has a certain form of cancer for which there is no network currently in place, a plan will be set in motion to fulfill that member’s requirements. As long as an objective is in accordance with Gilda’s Club Worldwide, which mandates the consistent, unique sense of community of the organization, a clubhouse may develop subgroups to serve the exact needs of its members. “What the member needs is what Gilda’s Club provides,” Reilley explained. Danielle Beverly was first introduced to conventional support groups by breast cancer physicians at the hospital where she was undergoing treatment. “But they were geared for the traditional breast cancer patient,” she explained. Namely, women older than she. Through word of mouth, she learned about Gilda’s Club of Metro Detroit and soon thereafter “ITY: I’m Too Young for Breast Cancer” was formed. “I was able to connect with a younger crowd,” Beverly said. “[The group] is going on its third year, and I still go [to meetings] when I’m back in Michigan.” When asked what sets Gilda’s Club apart from other cancer support organizations, Beverly believes the answer may lie in the question. Being “apart” from a medical environment permits members to be more open. “When you’re diagnosed with cancer, there is the community within the hospital,” she explained. “The support groups available are filtered through the hospital, so the hospital will benefit.” In fact, it is a Gilda’s Club statute that all clubhouses be situated away from any hospital setting. Though Beverly does not dismiss the assistance provided by such groups, she does believe that the independent setting of Gilda’s Club promotes honest dialogue and increases the comfort level of the members. She feels physician-directed support groups may in some circumstances stifle the voice of a member who may simply need to vent about a particular doctor’s bedside manner. With no hospital-affiliated doctors overseeing sessions, members can freely voice their opinions without worrying that word will get back to their physicians. “Gilda’s Club … is a non-biased support group for the entire unit,” Beverly said, adding “friends, family, from children to the elderly and everyone in between.” When Beverly and her husband relocated to Atlanta, she was surprised to find that a city renowned as a pioneer in expert medical care did not have a Gilda’s Club. “I just couldn’t believe there wasn’t [a clubhouse] here,” Beverly stated. Having been an active member in Gilda’s Club, she and her husband Eric, a tight end for the Atlanta Falcons, are on the forefront of the effort to bring Gilda’s Club to Atlanta.
Welcome to Atlanta A fundraising goal of $1.2 million has been set to establish Gilda’s Club Greater Atlanta. Since all services are provided to members free of charge, Gilda’s Club relies solely on donations to cover associated costs and expenses. Between 80 to 85 percent of endowments are from individuals, with the remainder coming from corporations and charitable grants. Ninety-eight percent of all funds will be directly applied toward the opening of the Atlanta clubhouse. Local fundraising efforts were launched with the 2006 Golf Classic held on May 22 at Country Club of the South in Alpharetta. The banquet that followed featured guest speakers, including both Danielle and Eric Beverly, and Dr. Benedict B. Benigno, a gynecologic oncologist and founder of The Ovarian Cancer Institute, who spoke about current cancer research, innovative medical studies such as formulating chemotherapy to be a more targeted treatment, and the importance of emotional support for people living with cancer. A live auction spurred what Reilley called “fast and furious bidding” for sports memorabilia, gift certificates and a vacation trip to a Tuscan villa. The goal for the event was exceeded, but additional funding is still needed. A calendar of upcoming events such as art auctions, raffles and interactive comedy and musical productions, can be found at www.gildasclubatlanta.org. How to Get Involved From substantial monetary contributions to donations of spare time, there are several ways to lend a hand. Challenge Grants encourage associations to match funds raised by Gilda’s Club through its own fundraising efforts; sponsorship opportunities are available for future events; a donation of a three- to five- year lease on a clubhouse will allow for additional money to be raised; an individual, entity or organization can underwrite the clubhouse or a special section of it; and volunteers can lend a hand by assisting at an event, or at the clubhouse itself. Financial gifts may be made anytime through the Gilda’s Club Web site. Studies show that one out of two men and one of every three women will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime. Gilda’s Club provides a place for those men, women, children, and everyone close to them to come, share and learn to live with cancer in their lives. “We need a groundswell of participation from the community,” Reilley said. “Volunteers, donations and networking will make it a success.” Upcoming Events Susan G. Komen Race for A Cure Golf Classic Week of Laughter For more information on all upcoming events, please visit www.gildasclubatlanta.org For More Information Gilda’s Club Greater Atlanta
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Living With Cancer
“No one should have to face cancer alone.”