After being diagnosed in April with breast cancer, Becky Firestone found herself in a difficult predicament. She was forced to take an unpaid leave of absence from her job. As she was out of work, she said she maxed out her credits cards and had to turn to friends and family members for financial support.
For a person who has always considered herself a caregiver for others, the experience has been incredibly humbling. Firestone said that feeling was also present when she took a friend’s suggestion and reached out to the people at Vickie’s Angel Foundation for help. Fortunately, though, that feeling quickly faded away as she forged a connection with the people at Vickie’s Angels and quickly saw her application for short-term financial support approved.
“They made me feel OK and valued, like an actual person,” Firestone said of the support she’s received. “Mickey [Minnich] and the entire committee [at Vickie’s Angels] are so wonderful. They make you feel like you’re worthy, that you have people to depend on and you’re not going through it alone — that you’re not the beggar that you feel you are.”
The financial support has helped Firestone, 54, focus on her treatment. She underwent a lumpectomy procedure and recently has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments. Once the chemo is completed, she said she’ll get a month break before radiation treatments begin.
Fortunately, the prognosis is good. Firestone, a resident of Palmyra, Lebanon County, said that her cancer was discovered in Stage 1A. Although she’s been battling exhaustion and nausea as she undergoes chemotherapy, she feels fortunate it was caught early.
“I keep telling everybody, ‘Listen to your body,’” Firestone said. “It sounds like a cliché, but I’m glad I spoke up. Had I not, I would have waited another year for a mammogram.”
Firestone also shared that she has been able to return to work part-time in her job as a support assistant at the Lebanon VA Medical Center, where she helps connect veterans with the health care they need. Prior to her diagnosis, she used some of her spare time to volunteer, including for Big Brothers Big Sisters. She said that’s where she was connected years ago with an 8-year-old girl who she eventually adopted. Her daughter is now 20.
As for the future beyond her treatment, Firestone said that she’s looking forward to a return to a semblance of normalcy.
“I’m looking forward to being able to do things. Right now, I’m just stuck in the house and don’t have the energy to do anything,” she said. “I would really like to travel a little bit, do some fun stuff.”
About Us: Vickie's Angel Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with a mission of helping families fighting cancer who cannot pay their bills because of going through cancer treatment. The foundation’s goal is to take away the financial worry from the family, providing a temporary bridge that allows them to focus entirely on beating this disease. Since 2003, Vickie’s Angel Foundation has raised over $4 million and helped more than 2,000 families. Importantly, 100% of all online donations, and monies received at our walk; along with 100% of net proceeds from sponsored events, go directly to those in need.