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Co-Founders' Corner | When a Diagnosis Disrupts Income

Co-Founders' Corner

Co-founder Corner is a new series where we share what we see and hear through our work with local breast cancer patients. These stories reflect the everyday realities behind each request for support and the many ways your generosity makes a difference.



A breast cancer diagnosis changes how a person moves through each day. Time is shaped by appointments, treatment plans, and recovery. Energy becomes something to manage carefully.


For many patients, income instability becomes part of that experience.


*In New Jersey, 8,644 women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022, and the American Cancer Society estimates 9,510 new cases in 2026. Each of these diagnoses carries both medical and financial weight.


Research continues to show that financial strain affects recovery in measurable ways. Studies in the Journal of Clinical Oncology describe “financial toxicity” as a side effect of cancer care, associated with higher stress, anxiety, and depression, along with a lower quality of life. Patients facing financial pressure are also more likely to experience interruptions in treatment or difficulty staying on schedule. The National Cancer Institute also notes that sustained financial stress can contribute to fatigue, sleep disruption, and decreased overall well-being during treatment.


Kathleen Cirioli experiences this reality through the conversations she has every day.

“When I speak with a woman for the first time, she’s often trying to hold everything together all at once,” Kathleen shares. “She’s thinking about her treatment, her family, and how she’s going to pay her bills now that she can’t work the same way. Over time, those conversations become very personal. We build a relationship. I hear how the stress affects her sleep, her energy, her ability to focus on healing. When we’re able to step in and help, even in one area, you can feel the shift. There’s a little more space for her to breathe.”

Many of the women who reach out to Dance for the Cure are navigating treatment while stepping away from work or losing income entirely. Medical appointments, surgery, and side effects make consistent employment difficult, and financial pressure builds quickly.


A Dance for the Cure gift helps relieve that pressure at a critical moment. Covering a pressing expense can reduce stress, support rest, and allow a patient to stay focused on treatment and recovery.


Dance for the Cure is a 100% volunteer-run organization, and more than $1.4 million has been gifted to local breast cancer patients across Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Somerset counties. Each donation strengthens the ability to support patients in ways that directly impact their well-being.


Income stability supports recovery in meaningful ways. It allows patients to conserve energy, stay engaged in their care, and move through treatment with a greater sense of steadiness.

This is one of the many ways your support reaches local breast cancer patients, creating stability during a time that asks so much of them.


Sources






Are you or someone you know struggling due to a breast cancer diagnosis?

We would like to help. Please visit https://www.danceforthecure.org/get-help

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