DELAFIELD, Wis. — A Delafield woman has picked up her sister’s mission to help those battling cancer. Candice Strong says they did not realize how life-changing a cancer diagnosis would be for every part of their lives.
While their family, community and church supported her sister through her diagnosis, they knew others did not have that.
“She was actively in treatment. That was the day we opened our doors in Oconomowoc,” said Candice.
She is looking at a family picture outside their non-profit Tricia’s Troops.
Her sister, Tricia Wright, started it after she was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer. Tricia later died, but Candice quit her job to focus on her sister’s dream of helping others. Tricia realized that cancer creates a massive financial burden beyond medical expenses at a time when families often have to take a leave of absence from work.
“Just as expenses are going up, your income is going down. So we really focused on transportation so people can get to their treatments, groceries and utilities. We want to focus on house cleaning so you can have a clean, safe space to heal,” said Candice.
They do it through grants from the American Cancer Society and Kohl’s. It helped people like Dawn Geeleher.
“I was diagnosed with late-stage bile duct cancer that had spread to my lymph nodes and my liver. I had no idea what a bile duct even was,” said Dawn.
Four years ago, Dawn was in the hospital getting cancer treatment when she received a bag filled with comfort items from Tricia’s Troops.
Watch: Delafield woman continues her sister's legacy of helping cancer patients
As Dawn’s treatment ended but a long road of tests and scans loomed in front of her, she knew she needed support. She reached out to Candice. She regularly attends Tricia’s Troops support groups and is even starting one of her own at the nonprofit.
“When you are going through it, sometimes you don’t want to burden your friends or your family with anxieties or different feelings because you are also trying to help them manage their feelings. So it is nice to come to a place like this and really be raw and honest and work through all of that with other people who understand it,” said Dawn.
If you or someone you know has been dealing with cancer, even years after their diagnosis, you can get free help from Tricia’s Troops by clicking here.
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