The Villages - October 2019 - 14

Banding Together For The Fight

Members mingled and some arrived with
baby gifts for their long-time waitress at
Steak & Shake during this particular meeting.

14

OCTOBER 2019

On a Thursday afternoon in The Villages, a
dozen women shuffle into a room, smile and take
their seats. There's chatter, laughter, whispering
and hugs. Someone is new to the group - newly
diagnosed with breast cancer. "I'm still processing
it," she tells the perfect stranger to her left.
"Well, if you don't have someone to go with
you to doctor appointments, I'm here," the woman
responds. "I've been through it - we all have."
For roughly three decades, the Tri-County
Breast Cancer Support Group has been gathering
for informational meetings, resources and
support. With 250 members on the roster, the
group serves Marion, Lake and Sumter counties
and is a testament to the cry for sisterhood in the
face of a breast cancer diagnosis.
"When you hear the words, it changes you,"
said Deb Gruber.
Gruber became a member before taking the
reins as a facilitator. It all started after she moved
to The Villages from Michigan, 16 years ago.
"I didn't know anyone but Cat (Somerville),
who was a nurse living in my neighborhood,"
she said. "I had just buried my mother - she died
of breast cancer and I'd taken care of her for six
years."
When a needle biopsy revealed Gruber had
breast cancer, too, she was stunned.
"It was triple negative, very aggressive and
the cells were forming quickly," she said. "When
I heard the diagnosis, I almost fell off my chair. I
thought, 'Now what do I do?'"
Somerville, who also facilitates the group,
notes that there weren't as many local options
then. "We have a whole lot more resources now,"
she said.
Gruber and Somerville found the Tri-County
Breast Cancer Support Group and started attending meetings. Around 2011, the two were asked to
take the helm, as the former facilitators signed off.



The Villages - October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Villages - October 2019

Contents
The Villages - October 2019 - Cover1
The Villages - October 2019 - Contents
The Villages - October 2019 - 1
The Villages - October 2019 - 2
The Villages - October 2019 - 3
The Villages - October 2019 - 4
The Villages - October 2019 - 5
The Villages - October 2019 - 6
The Villages - October 2019 - 7
The Villages - October 2019 - 8
The Villages - October 2019 - 9
The Villages - October 2019 - 10
The Villages - October 2019 - 11
The Villages - October 2019 - 12
The Villages - October 2019 - 13
The Villages - October 2019 - 14
The Villages - October 2019 - 15
The Villages - October 2019 - 16
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The Villages - October 2019 - 18
The Villages - October 2019 - 19
The Villages - October 2019 - 20
The Villages - October 2019 - 21
The Villages - October 2019 - 22
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The Villages - October 2019 - 50
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