“I have been a very lucky woman to live a creative life as a painter, art teacher, and to write a book,” says Anita Cherry, a resident of York, PA.

Anita also describes herself as a “cancer traveler,” who has been able to move beyond the pain of overcoming the darkness of ovarian cancer, infertility, and recurring thyroid cancer in her life.

anita-cherry

Her book, “Letters to Sam,” is the product of thirty years of writing. She says, “The pages went into a private drawer. Before my last surgery four years ago, I went to this drawer, took all of the writing out, and pitched them. After the surgery I wrote the distilled version of all of those pages.”

Writing “Letters to Sam,” not only helped Anita to process her own journey, but it has made her look outside herself and see that her words have helped others face their own fears.

  • “To be able to reach deep within your sprit and reveal the truth is an amazing ability. Anita truly takes flight and comes face to face with her fears. She is free. A great read.” -Annie

The chapters in her book are moments and feelings that others can relate to. The words let them know that they are not facing their fears alone. Anita says, “It made me feel beautiful inside, and it was a validation that I was a worthwhile person to myself. Nothing creatively had ever set me so free. This book is what I am most proud of.”

A description of the book: 
A poetic telling to her adopted daughter of the author's reflections on early-adulthood ovarian cancer, infertility, and recurring thyroid cancer, and of moving beyond the pain to celebrate life and growth.

Anita has generously shared her book (.pdf file), with our community… Because, we truly are in this together.

Click on the book cover to read her inspiring journey and we invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, praise in the comments below.

Enjoy, “Letters to Sam” by Anita Cherry:

 letters-to-sam-cover

We’re in this together… many thanks, Anita, for your moving words.

Reader reviews: "Letters To Sam" This is a poetic journey which maps the triumph of the mind and the spirit of the extraordinary author,Anita Cherry, as she faces life as a cancer traveller.Her sensitivity and sweetness light the way with an upbeat and powerful strength of will which produces a shared bond of joy and hope in the reader. I recommend this book highly and believe it will one day be find its way to the Oprah Show. -Roslyn

Another reader shared in a handwritten note to Anita:

thank-you-letter

Buy the book at Amazon. 

“An e-Patient is someone that is empowered, engaged, equipped, and enabled,” says Christine Amy from Aligning Forces for Quality --- South Central Pennsylvania.

Telemedicine is a new option to improve efficiency and outcomes for services when time or availability to reach a patient is important. It is a system that works between two computers to allow a physician and patient to see and talk to each other without being in the same location, much like video chat.

“When I think about the ways that doctors are accessing medical applications and patient data now, I think of keywords like value and convenience,” says Dr. Michael Ripchinski, Chief Medical Information Officer and Family Physician at Lancaster General Health. “It is valuable for them to have access to record electronically so they can can continue to deliver care for patient even in the off hours. And, it is convenient that they don’t have to travel back to office to initiate or continue care for their patients.”

How to Help a Parent Who Has Cancer: 10 ways to support your parent -- and yourself-- through the journey.

Harrisburg, PA – The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) of Central Pennsylvania announced today that it will host a Town Hall Meeting open to the public.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One doesn't have to look far to see a pink ribbon, buildings cast in pink light or fountains flowing with pink water. The color pink is associated with the cause so much during the month that everyone knows exactly what it signifies.

“For me, the most exciting part of the Digital Age in health care is the potential we have to help people understand and have more control of their health care,” says Dr. Karen Jones, an Internist & Medical Director for Quality and Innovation at WellSpan Health.

Join us in our mission to remove access barriers to coordinated, quality care for cancer patients in Pennsylvania.

Are you facing cancer in your own  life?  Or, do you know a friend and loved one who is looking for support?  Three new support groups are starting up in our community.

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A message from the Facing Cancer Together team: We invite you to join us in this community partnership. Share. Connect. Learn. No matter how cancer has affected you, our multimedia tools can help you gain confidence in your choices. In the coming months, this site will evolve with your participation. Meet the team!

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