As we gather around the table this Thanksgiving season, we reflect on the power of community, resilience, and the unwavering strength found in shared stories. Cancer Hope Network is thrilled to welcome our newest class of peer mentors, a truly inspiring group whose diverse journeys remind us of the importance of connection and support.
This cohort of 20 new mentors represents an incredible range of experiences, diagnoses, and backgrounds, embodying the heart of what it means to give back. Their journeys span varying stages of breast cancer to rare diagnoses like Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasm and Cancer of Unknown Primary. These mentors hail from across the country, representing states like Washington, Illinois, New Jersey, Texas—and even our very first peer mentor from Maine!
Our youngest mentor is just 18, sharing her experiences with Anaplastic Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma, a rare type of brain cancer, while our most seasoned mentor, at 75, brings wisdom from her journey with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Together, this group reflects the diversity of the cancer community—men and women, survivors of various stages and types of cancer, and even caregivers who have walked alongside their loved ones.
Several of our newly trained mentors are part of our collaborative programs with Johns Hopkins’ M.A.P.S. (Mentorship and Peer Support) initiative and Atlantic Health System. Through these programs, we bring peer-to-peer support directly to patients and caregivers in hospital and cancer center settings, ensuring more individuals receive the hope and guidance they need during treatment and beyond. We’re thrilled to work with these exceptional healthcare organizations to expand access to meaningful support.
Our newest mentors bring not only their unique cancer journeys but also a rich variety of personal interests and experiences to share with those they support. Among this group, we have a gardening extraordinaire, someone who recently hosted their first breast cancer awareness event, and another who helped plant trees in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. A few of our mentors are talented photographers, while another has a passion for motorcycles. Their diverse talents and stories enrich the connections they build with patients and caregivers, providing support that goes beyond shared diagnoses.
As these mentors step into their roles, they carry a shared mission: to provide hope, understanding, and support to others navigating a cancer diagnosis. Through their voices and shared experiences, they’ll bring light to patients and families during some of their darkest moments.
This Thanksgiving, we are especially grateful for their willingness to give back and for the opportunity to connect them with others in need. Their stories, compassion, and commitment to building bridges of hope are at the core of Cancer Hope Network’s mission.
To our newest mentors: thank you for your courage, your generosity, and your willingness to support others. You are a gift to the cancer community, and we are so grateful to have you as part of the CHN family. This holiday season, let us all reflect on the power of giving back and the strength that comes from walking the path together.
