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A breast cancer survivor gives free vacation retreats to breast cancer patients and their families. Back in 2009, then 39-year-old Jeanine Patten-Coble was running on a North Carolina beach thinking about her recent breast cancer diagnosis and how she was going to tell her 11-year-old son. She stumbled upon a beachfront property with dozens of empty vacation homes and had an epiphany: she wanted to create a place where cancer patients could get away from everything, relax and be with their loved ones.
One year later, Jeanine had successfully completed treatment for her cancer and had also realized her dream of helping other cancer patients to have a retreat by creating the nonprofit Little Pink Houses of Hope. She convinces homeowners and property managers across the country to donate their homes for free weeklong retreats where breast cancer patients and their families can escape and forget their worries. Over the past 12 years, the nonprofit has given retreats to almost 2-thousand families.
Jeanine says it’s more than just a vacation. They try to help the patients feel like they’re not alone in their battle. "We create an environment where they no longer feel so isolated," she says. "Walking alongside them as they create priceless memories is such a privilege."
Source: People