"Make A Difference": ABCD | Julie, Survivor and Mentor

Listen:After Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD) provides free, personalized information and one-to-one support for people affected by breast cancer -- patients, families, and friends. They were founded by a group of women, including Melodie Wilson, who knew breast cancer couldn't be reduced to just treatment. With the intention of structuring a process that was already going on informally, ABCD has become an amazing resource for women and men diagnosed with breast cancer.All ABCD mentors go through extensive training and are matched based on their particular background. These commonalities, both in personal background and in diagnosis, can go a long way. No matter the strength of an individual's support network, nothing can approximate experience of the process. Throughout the interviews I conducted, there was a resounding consensus -- advice directly from a survivor is totally unique, both practicality and in terms of the hope it imparts.In our first piece with ABCD, we hear from Julie Tynion. A two time breast cancer survivor, Julie was able to lean on a close friend to help her get through her first set of treatments. During her second set, she met and befriended Melodie Wilson, which eventually led to her involvement in ABCD. Knowing just how much her personal support network had done for her, Julie had no hesitation when she was asked to mentor with ABCD. This is the story of her first pairing:For more information on ABCD,visit their website. Also, if you're interested in getting involved with ABCD, this is a direct link to their volunteering opportunities.Produced by: Adam Carr