Belinda Bresnahan suffered severe weight loss, insomnia, and fatigue when she was diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
But the biggest challenge for Bresnahan, as she learned to navigate her new reality with cancer, was caring for her children.
“It was hard. I wasn’t able to provide for my child with what she needed, as in breast milk or being attentive to her because I was always in pain,” Bresnahan said. “It got to a point where I couldn’t walk anymore. My husband had to carry me to the restroom.”
It took a toll on her so much that one day, as she was walking out of a church service at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Newhall, Bresnahan cried to her mother, and her mother told her “to have faith.”
A few moments later, just down the street from the local Catholic church, she saw the Circle of Hope Cancer Center.
She called their service number that same day.
Bresnahan initially joined the support group, because she was struggling with how to talk about her illness, its challenges, and how it was affecting her and her loved ones.
But throughout the process, the local nonprofit organization also assisted her with financial support for services her insurance wouldn’t cover, and even helped her with a wig following her treatment, which caused hair loss, she said.
“I felt self-conscious about my looks and about everything. They provided a wig for me to gain that confidence.”
Now in remission, Bresnahan still attends the support group every other Tuesday to share her story and listen to others.
“I cried,” she said, as she recalled the day when the doctors told her she was now cancer-free. “I was so grateful to Circle of Hope, I told my husband that I promised to always give back to them, because they gave me hope when I needed it.”
On Saturday, alongside her husband, Bresnahan was doing just that, at the Circle of Hope’s fourth installation of “Hoedown for Hope,” fundraiser.
The country-themed event, which had farm animals, live music and barbecue, was held at Gilchrist Farms in Bouquet Canyon. The fundraiser aimed to generate funds to continue providing services for cancer patients in the Santa Clarita Valley.
Circle of Hope programs include therapy, support groups and financial assistance for those who qualify. All cancer patients are welcome and may receive services as long as they reside in Santa Clarita, or receive their care in the city, said Dawn Abasta, chair of the nonprofit’s board.
She added that many of the programs are provided through fundraising efforts, which is why it’s crucial for them to gather with the community so they can continue to provide such services.
The three annual fundraisers held by Circle of Hope are “Vine 2 Wine”, “Hoedown for Hope” and the annual tea. This year’s annual tea is scheduled to be held in October and Circle of Hope will be celebrating 21 years as an organization, Abasta added.
Circle of Hope Cancer Center assists 30 to 40 people a week, and the organization also provides crafting classes, yoga classes and additional activities to form a sense of community.
“Not everybody has a support system when they get diagnosed. We become their support system. The place they go, where there’s also other people going through it,” Abasta said. “There’s a lot of empathy, and a lot of people understand their struggles. We’re there for them.”
The Newhall-based organization is made up of numerous board members, many of them touched in some form by the impact of cancer, said board member Christy Grable.
“We just have that common ground. Whether it be a loved one or a friend or someone who is a caregiver. Everybody’s been touched by cancer somewhere in their lives.”
Circle of Hope has plans to expand its services to the Spanish-speaking community in the near future, and “it’s a big goal. We’re starting to apply for grants, translate our materials to be able to properly service them,” said past chairwoman Alison Lindemann.
In addition, the organization will launch its campaign titled “Give Hope Monthly” in early July, where those interested can give minimal donations every month, she added.
“It’s a beautiful thing for our community,” Grable said, reflecting on the event’s turnout. “People just want to come out and have fun and know that their dollars are going to cancer patients.”
For more information on the organization, visit www.circleofhopeinc.org.
