For many of us, summer is synonymous with summer camp . Maybe when you grow up you go to camp where you and a dozen other girls plot how to prank the boys at the cabin. Or maybe you spent your summer watching Lindsay Lohan's movie The Parent Trap . No matter how you get through those long, hot days and then pull that backpack out of the closet, summer (and summer camp) is a uniquely nostalgic experience that reminds us of being a kid; the last time we were truly carefree time. It was this feeling that the founders of The Breasties, a nonprofit that supports young women affected by breast and reproductive cancers, wanted to capitalize on when creating their most ambitious campaign yet: Camp Breastie, An intense weekend-long experience for 500 women, this May's events include panels, workshops, outdoor events and a blockbuster 60s-themed dance party.
The Breasties was founded in 2017 by four women, all of whom had breast cancer before the age of 30; Leslie Almiron, Ellie Brudner, Brianna Magiciak and Paige More. After connecting on Instagram and IRL, they realized they wanted to bring the same support to more women who were also looking to connect. Since receiving 501(c)3 status in February 2018, the organization has been able to offer eight free wellness retreats, plus two additional retreats, to women who are cancer survivors, have pre-cancer, or have cared for a loved one with cancer. Repair calendar for 2019. They also facilitate in-person meetups in different cities and maintain a thriving Instagram community.
But, as co-founder Allie Brudner, 30, tells Bustle, “Given the number of retreats we host, we receive almost 10 times the number of applicants than capacity. So we couldn't accommodate hundreds of women because we didn't have the resources or the space." Brudner, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 28, said the co-founder asked herself if she could do a "big retreat." Make space for all these women.
“The idea of camping just popped into our heads,” she said.
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in eight months (And "a lot of Google Docs," Brudner said), and this camp has formed. The team found a campsite in the Poconos that could accommodate 500 women (each paid $150 to attend, with the total cost of attendance offset by grants, fundraisers, and in-kind donations). With the help of 38 people and led by cabin leaders, the team created three days of summer fun—an emotional outlet for women whose lives have been changed by cancer.
In addition to individual opportunities to share their stories in the cabins, Camp Breastie participants participated in a camp-wide bonfire on their first night at camp, with some participating in the camp bonfire. Women have shared their cancer experiences in front of wider groups. There are also groups where women can share how they have dealt with grief, sexuality and other issues after diagnosis. It's also important for founders to make space for fitness activities such as volleyball, kickball, rock walls and ropes courses. Brudner said that after recovering from cancer, she was afraid of going back to her old active exercise routine. "I was scared of what my body would look like and whether I would be able to handle it," she said.
Dani Stumeier, 26, attended the camp and was one of the cabin leaders. Stumeier and Brudner connected in 2017 after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at age 24. She tells Bustle that she attended her first Breastie event, a fitness class, just weeks after finishing chemotherapy. "It was a low-impact workout, I mean, it was hard for me." At one point, she said, as Imagine Dragons' "Thunder" came on, "I was overwhelmed with emotion. I cried, Because... it was the most intense feeling I had ever had since I was diagnosed," she said. From that point on, she knew "breasts were going to be a big part of my life."
But when she was asked to serve as captain, she hesitated. After dealing with anxiety and depression post-therapy, she said she had to take a step back from The Breasties in order to heal emotionally. "I was really nervous...to throw myself into a weekend surrounded by cancer," she tells Bustle. But eventually she accepted, saying she wanted to contribute to something that her co-founders “put a lot of heart and energy into.”
Mackenzie Alleman, 30, also served as a hut leader and spoke on the panel about grief during the camp. Alleman lost her mother to breast cancer five years ago, and in 2016 she discovered she tested positive for the BRCA1 gene, which meant she was at increased risk for breast and ovarian cancer herself. After undergoing a preventive mastectomy, she reached out to co-founder Paige More, who shares her BRCA positivity journey on her Instagram account @paige_previvor.
Through Mohr, Alleman met the other co-founders and eventually became an ambassador for the Breast Society’s Philadelphia, Pa., chapter. She says this gives her an advantage over other cabin leaders: "I don't fly with my [cabin] trappings," she tells Bustle. "I was totally into the '90s camp theme, with Lisa Frank jotting down some notebooks. All I cared about was competition," she says, though she admits it was "a non-competitive environment."
“We camped in these beautiful cabins,” Stummell said. “I try to do little things to make my cabin feel like home,” including writing fun messages in chalk on the mirror and customizing fanny packs for the girls in the cabin. (Yes, there's flash involved.)
Being a part of the cabin is more than just fun and games; It’s also an opportunity to be seen. Another cabin leader, Anjali Karamchandani, 33, told Bustle, "It was really cool to sleep with 14 or 15 other women and be able to laugh and talk about such a difficult experience." In the cabin, women can sleep in private , sharing their cancer histories in a completely non-judgmental space, where everyone knew everyone else in the room could relate to what they were going through.
Some campers found their way to Bratis because they could find no nearby community of young survivors. Cara Nault, 37, traveled to the camp from British Columbia, Canada, with a friend. "When we got to camp, it felt like home. The women were so welcoming and they really gave us a chance to share stories that we don't get at home. It's just different."
"Yes, cancer brings us all together. But obviously, cancer doesn't define any of us."
Breasties co-founder Brianna Masjiak, 25, tells Bustle that one of the most impactful things for her was seeing Instagram posts of women helping each other climb to the top of a rock wall. "We haven't forgotten how important those moments are, when you're doing these things that you thought you could never do again, to have community by your side," she said.
Because ultimately, this event is about community and creating a space for all these women to heal from the emotional trauma of cancer.
"The weekend gave me a chance to really let myself out and shed tears in the company of women who understand," LaTonya Davis, 51, who lost her battle to triple-negative breast cancer, tells Bustle She lost her mother and sister, and she herself survived the disease. That weekend at summer camp was the third anniversary of her sister's death. "I don't want to burden people with what I've been through because I've always been the strong one. I think in a lot of cases, [Camp Breastie] was the first time for these beautiful souls to be in a safe space with It's a way to really express yourself without any judgment, without friends or family... because you don't want anyone to worry."
Camp Brady provides a space for these women to heal without judgment and without the pressure to be strong for anyone but themselves. "For me, I made a post the day I got bad news and when I had a double mastectomy, but I kept it in good shape because I was afraid of other people's judgment," Knott said. "I've always been a strong person, never had a moment of weakness. I think, you know, no one knew how to reach me because I was the strongest person." She said the experience at Camp Bridie was the opposite: "When we walk in the door, the most special part is you don't have to worry about what you say, or how you look."
"I missed two years of my children's lives just because of the surgery and I was so angry at the world," Karamchandani said. "When I went to camp, I was so grateful to be there, to be alive, Being in this room and being BRCA positive, yes, I've been through it all, but I've never been more confident than I am today that I wouldn't have had all this knowledge at my fingertips. and."
"Yes, cancer brings us all together," Brudner said. "But clearly, cancer doesn't define any of us."
You can follow The Breasties on Instagram or visit their website to find a local meetup near you, or apply to attend a retreat. You can also donate to The Breasties to support their mission.
