On a June morning this past summer, emotions were high and the joy was palpable. Cathleen Bush, a Group Exercise instructor at our Schottland Family YMCA, rang the bell and celebrated being in remission with a High Fitness class surrounded by her Y community, marking exactly one year since her breast cancer diagnosis.
From the first diagnosis to today, her Y family has been her constant support — bringing her meals, providing her comfort and always lending a hand in various ways, big and small. Their presence has been her strength through every challenge. Every gesture made a lasting impact. Thoughtful acts, like bringing her flowers, reminded Cathleen that she was never alone. The flowers just kept coming — a beautiful reminder of the love and care that surrounded her every step of the way.
The journey wasn’t always straightforward. Cathleen shared that, at times, it felt as though the finish line kept moving farther out of reach as she navigated new challenges in her treatment. Even when faced with the unknown and constant change, her Y family was there from the difficult days of chemotherapy to gradually regaining her strength, moving her body and finding her way back to participating in classes.
And at the YMCA of Greater Rochester, Cathleen found a place where she could show up however she needed to, without having to put on a brave face.
"If I needed to sit, I could sit. If I needed to scream, I could scream, I could woot-woot. I could cry," said Cathleen.
Cathleen's story is a reminder that cancer impacts more people than we realize. Through it all, community provided the ground for her to stand on and feel empowered.
At the Y, resources such as our LIVESTRONG program, UR Mobile Mammography Van and our October Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Pink Classes are such an invaluable part of our services. Let's continue to raise awareness, support and uplift our community together.