JACKSON, Wyo. — October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and one Jackson resident is uniquely positioned to provide support to those affected.
Rachel Khoury worked as a nurse at St. John’s Health for a decade before her recent retirement. In the last seven years, she’s battled two rounds of breast cancer herself.
The first time she was sick, she decided to keep her fight private. But when the cancer returned five years later, she felt moved to share the news with others.
“I just decided that it’s just so much easier and better to have people supporting you,” Khoury told Buckrail. “I became very open on my Instagram and very vulnerable and that’s helped me cope. It’s too hard to do it alone. People message me daily, like, ‘Thank you so much for being so open.'”
Part of Khoury’s outreach is the creation of a self-care corner in the oncology waiting room for the month of October. Initially, Khoury was assembling care packages for other cancer patients, but an influx of donations from local businesses and philanthropists who caught wind of her project led her to expand its scope.
“It just exploded,” Khoury said. “For weeks I’ve been able to keep this corner stocked. We’ve got bath salts, lotions, earrings, socks, journals, tote bags, yoga class vouchers, honey, inspiring books, gift cards, all sorts of stuff.”
Khoury’s shelf displays a message for fellow patients, which reads: “Please help yourself. Take anything you need, anything you want and something that makes you smile. Be brave and have courage. You are not alone. WE can do this!”
Including a note of solidarity was important to Khoury. “It means something a little different when it comes from someone who’s also fighting,” she said.
“October is kind of heavy for everyone involved, so I just wanted to do something to bring smiles and some joy to cancer patients,” Khoury said. “I feel like this is my purpose now. It brings a little lightness to my life.”
Former coworkers have told Khoury that they’ve seen the shelf brighten their patients’ days.
“A nurse told me, ‘Hey, my patient today got a gift card for coffee and said it was the best part of his day, so thank you for that,'” she said.
The local support of this endeavor has reaffirmed Khoury’s affection for Jackson and its residents.
“Our community is such a wonderful place and it’s just so awesome what people will do for people in need,” Khoury said. “It’s been really awesome to see.”
