Reach to Recovery offers outreach to those facing breast cancer

TAMPA, Fla. - 2012 was a challenging year for Kristi Irwin-Newberry.

Not only was she diagnosed with breast cancer but months later, her mom was too.

"Yeah, it was shocking and scary. You know, I think I was more scared when I heard that it was my mom than I was for my own, you know? It's kind of not the kind of thing that you want to go through with somebody, but if you had to go through it with somebody, I was glad that I went through it with my mom. My mom passed away in April of 2020, thankfully not from breast cancer. So she was a survivor as well. I am a ten-year survivor," said Irwin-Newberry.

As a survivor, she knew she could help other breast cancer patients navigate what can be an unsettling and uncertain journey.

Kristi Irwin-Newberry and her mom both survived breast cancer.

"If somebody hasn't kind of walked it, they can empathize and try to help do a bunch of research, but it's not quite the same," explained Irwin-Newberry.

She is now one of the volunteers with the American Cancer Society's Reach to Recovery program.

Newly diagnosed patients from across the country are matched with survivors who can answer questions and offer support through a website and app.

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"Where that matters is sometimes it's helpful for people to, to be able to talk to somebody who's got a similar diagnosis. We can jump on a phone call, FaceTime, Zoom. It doesn't matter whatever their preferences. And then we talk it through," said Irwin-Newberry.

She said those she counsels typically fall into two camps.

"Either they have a really strong support group around them, and they're surrounded by family and friends who love them. But nobody that's been through it. And I think sometimes they're trying to show how strong they are. Sometimes the flip side of that, which I think is tougher to some degree, is people who don't have a support system, right?," said Irwin-Newberry. "Maybe they're, they don't have a significant other or a partner, or they don't have a bunch of people there to kind of help them along the way. So they're really suffering. Right? They're kind of struggling on two different fronts. So it's just having somebody that they can talk to that will say, here are all the resources, what are the questions that are bothering you?" 

It's not always patients reaching out to her.

Irwin-Newberry helps others through Reach to Recovery.

"Sometimes it's caregivers. So I actually had a son whose mother was diagnosed, and he was like, ‘How do I help her?’" recalled Irwin-Newberry.

Reach To Recovery has meant as much to her as it has for those needing her guidance. 

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"It's one of those things where it's like you're paying it forward, but it almost feels like you're getting just as much back from, you know what I mean? Because I'm thinking to myself, I'm helping somebody who's, you know, going through this in a way that I would have wanted somebody to help me with. So, it means a lot," said Irwin-Newberry.

For more information about the Reach To Recovery program, click here.

FOX 13 is proud to team up once again with the American Cancer Society for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walks. These fun and inspiring events provide support for those going through the battle and also for survivors. Proceeds go towards funding research and programs that assist patients, families and caregivers. 

Here is a list of Making Strides events in the Tampa Bay area:

• Saturday, Oct. 21- Nathan Benderson Park - Sarasota
• Saturday, Oct. 28 - Raymond James Stadium - Tampa

For information on how to register and participate, click here.