Seynabou B.

Seyna describes herself as a fun social butterfly who works in the banking sector. Back in 2015, Seyna was also an avid runner. Later that year though, she was diagnosed with Stage II Breast Cancer. Her mother was a volunteer with CancerCare and encouraged her to call. Right after her diagnosis, CancerCare gave her all the information she needed. She began meeting with oncology social worker, Sarah Paul, for one-on-one counseling and joined a young adult support group.

Seyna believes CancerCare’s free services helped her recover not just physically, but emotionally as well. After her diagnosis, Seyna was hesitant about reaching out to CancerCare. She was unsure it would help, because at the end of the day she still had cancer. After attending a support group, Seyna felt as if she was listening to her own story from the other members. She found the process to be incredibly encouraging and supportive. She also found it helpful to listen to the concerns of others going through a similar experience, as it inspired her to advocate for herself when it came to her treatment.

Throughout her treatment, Seyna says she was extremely impressed with CancerCare. So much so, that she wanted to become involved in the organization. In 2017, Seyna was instrumental in founding CancerCare’s Young Professionals Committee as her way of giving back to the community that helped her. In June of 2018, the Young Professionals Committee hosted their first event, “Cocktails for a Cause.”

“Some advice I would offer others going through a similar situation is give yourself time. It’s ok to take your time to heal, both physically and mentally, from this challenging time,” said Seyna. “Be patient with yourself and understand its ok to take it slow.”