When Essie Graeber received her diagnosis of stage 3 stomach cancer, she had no frame of reference to pull from, as she was the first in her personal circle to encounter the life-changing disease. Seeking a community of residents who are also fighting cancer, Graeber found the virtual support services of Cancer Support Community (CSC) Washington, D.C.
“I was just so happy to meet [the CSC D.C. team],” said Graeber of her digital support services.
After all the support she’s received online, Graeber was present as Cancer Support Community D.C. recently inaugurated its first-ever location in the Historic Anacostia community, serving residents facing the most prevalent health disparities in the city.
The center offers cancer patients across the D.C. Metropolitan area disease navigation and support services at no cost. Although services are also available to people residing in Maryland and Virginia, the non-profit organization was eager to stake their claim in the East of the River community, hoping to help combat the grave statistics showing the highest cancer mortality rates in Ward 8.
“This is the opening of the first-ever CSC in the DMV area. It’s right here in Ward eight. Our mission is to uplift and strengthen people impacted by cancer by providing support, fostering compassionate communities and breaking down barriers to care,” said Executive Director Zubair Ansari. “You go west of the Anacostia River, we’ve got one climate, and then we come east of the Anacostia River, it’s a whole different ball game. We want to make sure we’re serving people in the communities that need it the most.”
Cancer Mortality Ranks Highest in D.C.
Although the nation’s capital houses some of the world’s most advanced medical institutions, the District still ranks highest in overall cancer mortality, including one of the highest reported death rates due to prostate and breast cancer across the country. According to DC Health’s District of Columbia Cancer Control Plan 2022-2026, there are roughly 18,750 cancer survivors residing in the District; residents in the Ward 8 community have faced the highest mortality rates.
While CSC D.C.’s brick and mortar location does not provide any medical services, they fill a gap of needed holistic resources in the form of support groups, education, short-term counseling, navigation, and health lifestyle classes available in person and online.
Graeber, who is a native Washingtonian residing in Ward 7, found CSC D.C. amid her startling bout of stomach cancer after she was initially diagnosed in November of 2022. She details her first moments as she was lost for words, needing counsel on how to adjust to the changes that her diagnosis has brought about.
“When [my doctor] called me, I just [felt] my life was turned upside down at that moment. I just went numb. I [thought], who do I tell? How do I tell my children or my friends? I’ve never known anybody that actually had cancer. I would hear about it, but I had never known anyone [personally] that actually touched me to say they’ve had cancer,” Graeber told The Informer.
Cancer Support Groups Help to Ease the Battle
While having the amazing support of her children, friends, and family to see her through the process, she decided to seek out a cancer support group in D.C. to commune with other women who were also battling the disease. Before CSC D.C. opened their new location east of the River, Graeber started participating in their weekly virtual support groups with the organization’s program director Rachel Ress Ress and fellow residents walking a similar path as herself.
“We have a good time every Thursday on the call, and I’m so thankful I met Rachel [about] a year ago,” said Graeber.
Ress outlines holistic support programs to offer residents physical and emotional support between cancer treatments, whether that entails yoga classes, peer support groups, or nutrition counseling.
“We’ve been providing virtual support for about the last few three years or so. Having this brick-and-mortar space is to further enhance that and to provide another avenue for people who maybe aren’t comfortable with Zoom or would rather meet in person to do that,” Ress told The Informer. “So, we are hoping to open our doors to the community in the coming weeks here and start having programming as well. We’re really excited to continue doing the work that we’ve been doing.”
The nonprofit organization is able to provide care services for underserved communities in the District through philanthropy, grant funding, and other financial development professionals who help raise funds to ensure that residents have equitable resources and support while battling cancer.
“We know that there are such really significant health disparities, and that access to care is part of that and nobody should be feeling like they’re facing cancer by themselves. They need support, they need community. That’s what our goal is, and that’s what we focus on,” Ress explained.
