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Gifts of comfort and hope is a program of the United Breast Cancer Foundation, UBCF, since 2012, offering the gift of sleep to breast cancer patients and survivors.
And they’re collaborating with the Gloria Gemma Foundation to make it a success in Rhode Island.
“Mattresses are really expensive. So is cancer,” said Carol Donnelly, spokesperson for the Gemma Foundation.
On the local level, the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Foundation has been such a resource to those battling cancer over the last 20 years.
Nationally, the United Breast Cancer Foundation, UBCF, too, has been working to make a difference.
“It’s pretty incredible to find groups that will work with you,” said Stephanie Mastroianni, executive director at UBCF.
“We are always looking to partner with other advocacy groups because we can do a whole bunch but we can do a whole bunch more when we partner with other organizations,” added Donnelly.
And that’s what the two organizations are doing as they gear up for a big mattress giveaway.
“We found that a lot of women who are going through chemotherapy will sweat out the drug in to the mattress. They turn yellow, they smell,” said Mastroianni. “And it helps to relieve that by giving them a new mattress.”
Since 2012, UBCF has given away 4400 mattresses to breast cancer patients and survivors.
And now they plan to give out 160 more.
“The sleep disturbance, never mind the smell that comes from sweating it out, the sleep disturbance that cancer treatments cause and that can last well beyond cancer treatments. I speak from experience, you know, I’m a two time survivor. It can last decades,” said Donnelly.
In planning this great mattress giveaway for April, they needed a third partner, a place to distribute them.
“And so obviously the answer was yes,” said Domenic Schiavone, general manager of the Warwick Mall.
And that’s how the Warwick Mall got involved.
“Unfortunately, cancer impacts everybody whether it’s the survivor or the family or the community as a whole and then I have a personal stake. I lost my mom to breast cancer 30 years ago this year,” said Schiavone.
Any current or former breast cancer patient can apply for this free mattress giveaway. Those chosen will get a new queen-size mattress and a pink bag full of goodies.
