For those of you old enough to remember the late, great Gilda Radner, you probably spent many a Saturday night laughing at her many wonderful characters. My all-time favorite was Roseanne Rosannadanna (followed closely by the ever quirky Emily Latella, of “Never mind!” fame).
I knew Gilda had died from ovarian cancer many years ago. Before she died, she fought the good fight, and after her passing, her husband, Gene Wilder, continued the fight. He did a lot of outreach in the years following her death. No doubt many women were helped as a result.
One nice thing about researching what is out there is that I often find wonderful cancer resources. This is one I would like to pass on to you. If you are in the NYC area, check out Gilda’s Club of NYC. The organization creates free “welcoming communities” for people with cancer and their families and friends, to network, to find support, and to join others in workshops, lectures, and other social opportunities. They rely on volunteers and fundraisers to bring all this to the public free of charge:
How can you not love an organization that gives kids with cancer a special play space, to share with others in the same boat? Who wouldn’t want to go to Noogieland? How can you not love a cancer club that does pot luck dinners and picnics? You just know that it’s all about the people.
Gilda gave us so many wonderful laughs. She clearly loved her characters and their personality quirks. When I look at the website for Gilda’s Club of NYC, it makes me smile. It’s colorful, bright, and over the top, just like she was. I bet she’d be proud of what her husband and her cancer psychotherapist, Joanna Bull, started. It seems to be spreading all across NYC, like a big warm smile, touching a lot of lives. It’s more than just surviving with cancer. It’s about thriving in a community that wraps around you like a big hug. Who wouldn’t love that?