In the summer of 2020, when Veronica Dornic was 47, her annual mammogram revealed a couple of bright spots. But the radiologist didn’t sound any alarm bells. Instead, the doctor told Veronica to schedule another mammogram in a few months so he could track any changes.
Several weeks after her mammogram, Veronica rolled over in bed and when her arm brushed over her breast, she felt something hard. Since she was already scheduled for a second mammogram in October, she didn’t think much of it. But after the exam, the doctor ordered a biopsy.
“He called me the day before Thanksgiving to tell me I had cancer,” Veronica says. “I didn’t hear anything after the word ‘cancer.’ I didn’t know what type or stage. I didn’t even know my prognosis.”
Charting a Course Forward
At first, Veronica didn’t share the news with friends or family. Already a stroke survivor, she was still trying to process her new identity as a cancer patient. But she had a friend who was going through cancer treatment at the time, and that friend referred her to Michelle’s Place.
“I was diagnosed on November 24 and by the first of December, I was already meeting with one of the coordinators at Michelle’s Place—right in the middle of COVID,” Veronica says.
Unfortunately, the cancer was in Veronica’s right breast, the same side as her stroke. So, the whole right side of her body was compromised. While the world was on lockdown, she participated in Michelle’s Place’s online activities from art classes and health coaching to yoga and breath work.
For Veronica, Michelle’s Place was like a healing balm during her most difficult days. “I felt this amazing blanket of support wrapped around me from day one,” Veronica says. “Everyone was so helpful and knowledgeable. It’s just an amazing place.”
Learning to Receive
As a mother of two daughters, a devoted wife, and a former pediatric nurse, Veronica is comfortable taking care of others. When cancer happened, she had to get comfortable in a new role: receiving care.
“I wasn’t working, so I had no income, but I wasn’t comfortable asking for help,” Veronica says. “Michelle’s Place just sort of swooped in and took care of me, connecting me with financial resources, providing us with grocery cards, and helping us find our footing.”
In addition to financial support, Veronica found a community of people at Michelle’s Place who understood her journey. She was able to connect with other patients and professionals, who understand what it’s like to face a cancer diagnosis—and come out the other side stronger and more empowered.
Finding a Way to Give Back
Since Veronica was diagnosed with cancer just before Thanksgiving, she wanted to give back as part of a new holiday tradition centered around gratitude.
“I wanted to help with the Thanksgiving meals that Michelle’s Place provides to newly-diagnosed patients, and I wanted to donate pies,” Veronica says. “But I had no idea how we were going to afford to buy 150 pies.”
She decided to visit her local Sprouts grocery store and inquire about their pie prices. At $7 a pie, Veronica learned that she would need to raise more than $1,000 dollars to provide pies to Michelle’s Place for the Thanksgiving Day holiday.
“I had 15 days to get it done and I began thinking about all of my friends and family who might want to donate,” Veronica says. “Everyone chipped in, donating different amounts of money, and my daughter and I both volunteered to hand out pies to all of the families who came to pick up their meals during the Thanksgiving drive.”
Veronica and her family have committed to doing the “pie drive” again this year, and she hopes to be able to sustain the effort tin the future. “One of the reasons why Michelle’s Place is so great is because everyone is in a similar boat,” Veronica says. “We can all relate to each other and share our experiences.”
