For more than 21 years the Ford Motor Company has been in the fight against breast cancer with their Warriors in Pink program. Therefore, when one of their “Ford Models of Courage”, Laurie, reached out to me to help with their Good Day Project, I was more than a bit elated to participate. You see, Laurie is a Stage 3 breast cancer survivor who understands from her own experiences that most cancer patients often find themselves exhausted and overwhelmed and sometimes feeling alone, thereby categorizing their days as “good days” and “bad days”.
Please know that your gift and the kindness and caring of everyone who has ever given to someone who is dealing with breast cancer is appreciated so much more than you could ever know or measure. Barbara Jacoby
With the Good Day Project, Ford wants to share their support in a tangible way by conducting small acts of kindness with Good Day boxes intended to help those affected by breast cancer and they provided me with one to share with someone I know who could use one more good day. These boxes include items like free access to Meal Train Plus that allows users to organize not only meal deliveries but also errand services and childcare for loved ones. In addition, Ford is gifting patients free rides to and from treatment in partnership with Lyft. And, of course, many other goodies are included that are specifically needed and useful to the breast cancer patient.
As I eagerly awaited the arrival of the box from my Good Day Project ambassador, I was so full of anticipation as I had immediately known exactly who would be the recipient. I have an associate who went through her own breast cancer journey last year and who has a sister currently in radiation treatment after her breast cancer surgery. But, she also has another sister, Sheri, who is currently in chemo treatment after breast cancer surgery in June and this sister is homeless.
Right now, Sheri is going through all of this while sleeping on the sofa in the family room of their oldest sister’s home. It is a home of boarders that were there before Sheri fell on difficult times, and it’s a roof, but no way to go through breast cancer treatment. The family has been working to try to help Sheri find housing but it’s heartbreaking to see her going through the emotional and physical trauma of breast cancer and treatment under such circumstances. There are also two teenage relatives living in the house as well and all of this is just so difficult. I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like going through all of this without so much as a private space of my own let alone not having my own bed. As a result, I am sure that Sheri has known more than just a few “bad days” of her own.
Therefore, I couldn’t think of anyone who was more deserving of receiving a gift from Ford and Laurie and their Good Day Project and when I received the package this week, I immediately took it to her sister to let her know what it was and her sister promised that she was definitely going to deliver it to Sheri on the way home from work. I can’t imagine anyone who could better use and would more appreciate this gift than Sheri.
So I want to thank Ford and Laurie for providing one more Good Day to someone who has seen a limited amount of them since her breast cancer diagnosis and to thank you also on Sheri’s behalf as she is truly a woman who has inspired me and everyone else who knows her story. Please know that your gift and the kindness and caring of everyone who has ever given to someone who is dealing with breast cancer is appreciated so much more than you could ever know or measure.
Barbara Jacoby is an award winning blogger that has contributed her writings to multiple online publications that have touched readers worldwide.