Rachel Machen recalls getting a string of online mammogram reminders from her physician’s office and pushing them to the bottom of her to-do list.
“I’m young, and I had no family history. I felt so healthy,” said Machen, 44, of Oakmont. “My diagnosis came as a 100% shock.”
Machen spent the past four years navigating her recovery from breast cancer, the second most common cancer for women in the United States.
About 1 in 8 females will develop breast cancer in their lifetime, the American Cancer Society says.
“Everyone knows someone who has it,” Machen said. “You have empathy and you want to help, but it’s so different when it’s you.”
The Fox Chapel Area High School counselor has joined a new initiative by Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute to help others wade through their cancer journey.
The Community Cancer Patient Ambassador Program, launched in February, links survivors with recently diagnosed patients to provide a shoulder to lean on.
It’s the first of its kind in Western Pennsylvania.
Delmont resident and four-time cancer survivor Maria DePasquale, 68, said she went through chemo when the pandemic hit — which meant facing treatments alone.
“That was very frightening,” she said. “I’m fortunate that my cancer has always been treatable. But when you hear the words, you shut down. It’s like someone takes the fuse out of the box.
“This new program can be such a treasure for people.”
Led by Hampton resident Terri Ronald, the ambassadors program will support patients with cancers across 14 disease lines, including blood, gynecological, skin and prostate.
The goal is to provide peer support and friendship, address emotional and practical struggles, and reduce feelings of social isolation and anxiety.
“I know what it’s like to sit in the chair,” said Ronald, who survived melanoma and two diagnoses of breast cancer starting at 39.
Now 56, Ronald said it was the second instance of breast cancer two years ago that threw her for a loop.
“I really didn’t expect it — and I know it’s odd to say that after two other diagnoses,” Ronald said. “I had a double mastectomy, and I remember being so grateful that I had people advocating for me. But the next thought was, ‘What about the people who don’t? Where are they in all of this?’ ”
Dr. David Bartlett, chair of the AHN Cancer Institute, said the ambassador program fills a critical gap, providing the nonclinical support essential for holistic care and improved outcomes.
“We understand that cancer care extends far beyond medical treatment,” Bartlett said.
Ronald also said the program is significant because it takes recovery beyond the walls of the hospital. She felt it was important to pair patients with someone who had gone through a similar prognosis and who might talk about recovery in frank terms.
“We might talk about what products to use so radiation doesn’t burn them or maybe what books help explain cancer to children,” Machen said. “If they had offered me an ambassador just to talk to at the time, I would’ve jumped on it.”
Ambassadors undergo extensive training, although their firsthand experience is what best equips them for the job. Mostly, they meet for coffee or chat by phone to listen, answer questions and share resources.
“Doctors and nurses don’t have time to do the emotional support, but it is necessary,” Ronald said. “When someone is doing well mentally, they often end up doing well physically.”
More than two dozen ambassadors have signed on and can each provide support for up to three patients.
The pairs can meet virtually, which accommodates various AHN programs, like the pseudomyxoma peritonei cancer initiative that draws patients from around the world.
DePasquale, a retired registered nurse who has battled melanoma, appendix cancer and breast cancer twice, is drawn to the program for its humanity.
“Allowing someone who survived and even thrived to support someone in the immediacy of their care is a pleasure,” she said. “Talking about reconstruction, or the kind of personal things that go through their head, can be emotional.
“I imagine it would have been a huge support when I didn’t know what to expect.”
Machen, too, said this has made her cancer purposeful.
“I want to show others that this is not their defining characteristic,” she said. “I want to let them see that you can recover and create a life that’s full.”