Hello all!
I'm posting this info on behalf of a very good friend of mine. Her
name is Renee Schick, and she is a 4+ year breast cancer survivor in
the Toledo Ohio area. She's just beginning to realize the benefits of
disseminating information on the Internet, so I decided to help her out
a little.
In any case, Renee opened a bricks-n-mortar survivors store 3 years ago
in the Toledo Ohio area. Her goal was to provide a "one-stop shop" of
survivor items that she couldn't find easily during her illness, in
addition to providing a nurturing and supportive environment to other
surviors and current illness sufferers. Renee also wanted to use the
store as a way to gather and focus interest on fund raising for local
patients and survivors who are experiencing financial difficulties. To
date, Renee's Survivor Shop has raised and distributed several
thousands dollars to these people via her annual charity golf outings,
scrap booking, "Stuff for the Cure" stuffed animal, etc. events.
Renee has now expanded her vision to beyond the Toledo area and has
opened up an online version of her store (using PayPal) here:
http://www.rsurvivorstore.com
Her informative website (complete with discussion and prayer/support
forums) is available here:
http://www.rsurvivorshop.com
Here are some articles about her story and her bricks-n-mortar store:
http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=1552433 http://www.rsurvivorshop.com/bedford_press.pdf
Here's an excerpt from the last article that I thought you might find
informative:
"When I (Renee) was sick I had a hard time finding products that I
needed. Every place I went to was gloomy. When I was diagnosed, there
were many nights where my mind went a hundred miles a minute. I
would think that I would not be around to watch my kids graduate and
get married. I wish someone would have talked to me, gave me a hug,
and said 'You are going to be okay,'" Schick said. "I decided
that I needed to open a place that had all the products some-one
would need and that was friendly, warm and inviting.
This is an uplifting place for those diagnosed and those who
are healing. I want this place to convey the message that
there is hope. The diagnosis of cancer is not necessarily a death
sentence."
Renee's Survivor Shop has become a place of hope for those in
treatment and for those who have a loved one dealing with the
disease "This shop is for all cancers," Schick said. "We even
have items for people with lupus. We try to have something for
everyone."
Please feel free to drop Renee an email or call if you have any
questions, want discuss a product that she doesn't carry, or just need
some understanding and support. Renee's also very good at recommending
products (that you might not even KNOW exist) to address issues and
difficulties you're experiencing!
Best Regards, and God Bless!
-MJ