Hope for the Daily Grind
By: Michelle Meals, Fresh Brewed Life® Project Manager
(Victoria Tashman, Founder of Pink-Link)
Finding out you have cancer changes your life forever. The day you get the call your world shifts and things are never the same again.
Vicki Tashman, a mom and a wife living in southern California, learned at age 44 that she had cancer. A regular mammogram followed by a call from her doctor left Vicki in tears. She recalls, “He never said ‘breast cancer’ but anybody’s initial reaction with cancer is, ‘Am I going to die?’” While Vicki’s doctor reassured her that it was caught early, Vicki’s battle with cancer and her desire to help others in the fight began that day.
Her vision for Pink-Link began over lunch with a friend who had endured a double mastectomy and was preparing for reconstructive surgery. As her friend described a longing to connect with other women who‘d had the procedures she was facing, Vicki knew right then that there was a need for an online database to connect those with cancer. “I ran home and started doing research and there was nothing out there like that. There was a very strong feeling in me saying, ‘Vicki, you’ve got to do this. This is going to be helpful to other women…This is the next step in your life and your journey.’” Vicki started her organization, Pink-Link in 2005, one year after beginning her own treatment for breast cancer. She describes it as a “Match.com for cancer survivors.”
While it was intimidating to start her own non-profit, Vicki forged ahead. She worked to provide the funding that would allow Pink-Link to be a free service for those looking to connect with others facing cancer. Since 2005, Pink-Link has grown to serve over three thousand survivors and their community. With links to resources, a monthly newsletter, and the ability to set up an on-line profile, Vicki is providing help and hope to survivors all over the country
Vicki’s inspiration in her journey with cancer came from the family and friends surrounding her. “They were very, very supportive of me,” she says. “I felt very blessed that I lived in a large city that had access to the top doctors and support groups. Part of what I realized during my own treatment was how many women didn’t have that.” With the support of her husband and a circle of great girlfriends, Vicki was able to keep going and become the voice for many women looking for someone to relate to. Vicki encourages women to join Pink-Link in an effort to provide more and more support to survivors. “If you’re done with treatment, hopefully you’re in the mode of wanting to help other women. That’s really what Pink-Link is all about,” she says. “Just a community of everyday women helping each other.” For Vicki Tashman, who has fought the fight of her life, Pink-Link is the way she brings hope to the daily grind.
In February of 2009, Fresh Brewed Life® had the opportunity to team up with Pink-Link at the annual Young Survivor's Conference held in Dallas, TX. It was an incredible experience to work alongside Vicki to encourage survivors, hear their stories and think pink for the weekend.
(Michelle, above, with Vicki Tashman and Jody Cooper - both survivors and Pink-Linkers)
(Vicki was kind enough to allow Michelle to be an honorary Pink-Linker for the weekend!)