CANCER RECOVERY HAS A NEW HOME.Byline: CAROL ROCK Staff Writer VALENCIA -- When Wendie Jo Sperber was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997, she searched for a place that could offer her help and support -- a place that was more home than hospital. Facing physical treatment was tough, albeit appropriate, in a clinical setting. But the actress who made thousands laugh in ``Bosom bos·om n. 1. The chest of a human. 2. A woman's breast or breasts. Buddies'' was a single mother whose life, like so many others with the fateful diagnosis, overturned in a heartbeat immediately. See also: heartbeat . She needed something different to restore her emotional health. She took matters into her own hands, founding a group that offered a holistic approach holistic approach A term used in alternative health for a philosophical approach to health care, in which the entire Pt is evaluated and treated. See Alternative medicine, Holistic medicine. in treating everyone in the circles of cancer -- the patient at the center, surrounded by family, friends and community. In 2001, her dream came true, and the doors of weSPARK -- an acronym acronym: see abbreviation. A word typically made up of the first letters of two or more words; for example, BASIC stands for "Beginners All purpose Symbolic Instruction Code. for support, prevention, acceptance, recovery, knowledge -- opened in Sherman Oaks. Suddenly, thousands more embraced Sperber's spirit of community-based recovery as they took advantage of the free classes, groups and activities offered. Sperber's cancer returned and she died in November, but her quest continues to grow. On July 10, the first satellite weSPARK center will open in the Vantage Oncology Center in Valencia. said Valencia resident Tara Shore, a therapist/facilitator spearheading the local center. ``They're already battling a disease. They don't want to battle the traffic to get to the Valley.'' Shore's husband, Steve, has a business relationship with Vantage that led to the offer of a meeting place until weSPARK could get its own location. Even though the room looks like a waiting area now, by opening day, couches and lamps will replace the current seating to foster a home-like feeling. ``We don't even use overhead fluorescent lighting,'' said Mitchell Holden, the group's outreach director. ``Each room is set up like a living room. That was important to Wendie. That atmosphere gave her permission to talk and express what she was feeling and dealing with. It wasn't sterile and unforgiving.'' ``Cancer touches everyone,'' Shore said. ``My husband and I had a close circle of friends in college, and by the time I finished law school, every single one of our friends had lost a parent to the disease. We got tired of going to funerals.'' More than 138,000 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2006, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the American Cancer Society American Cancer Society, n.pr established in 1913, this national volunteer-based health organization is committed to the elimination of cancer through prevention and treatment and to diminishing cancer suffering through advocacy, scholarship, research, . ``When you're being the rock for someone else, there has to be a place you can come for a break or some support of your own,'' Holden said. ``I found when we lost my mom that the family kind of fragmented. Here, we can help them with anticipatory grief Anticipatory grief refers to a grief reaction that occurs in anticipation of an impending loss[1]. Anticipatory grief occurs when a loved one receives a terminal diagnosis.[2] Dying individuals can also experience anticipatory grief themselves. and to deal with the anger and resentment that they're feeling very nonjudgmentally.'' The weSPARK center in Valencia will offer limited programming until its permanent location can be secured, including in-treatment and caregiver support groups. Creative and holistic programs, including creative writing and qi gong qi gong (che´ kung´) [Chinese] qi cultivation, a broad range of practices, incorporating meditation, movement exercises, and breath control, whose purpose is to manipulate and develop qi, and ranging in application from the meditative -- a self-healing art that combines movement and meditation -- will be added as the center grows. Services from weSPARK are free. Programs at the Sherman Oaks facility include support groups for patient, family and friends, grief workshops, art classes, yoga, drum circles drum circle, n a spiritual, communal, or therapeutic music experience in which participants join together in a circle with drums, move, dance using various percussion instruments, voices, and other devices. , teen drama A teen drama is a television drama series that centers on teenage characters. The genre is relatively new, first appearing in the late 1980s. The shows are usually serial, starting when the characters are well into their teenage years (usually between 13 to 19 years of age) and if groups and meditation. carol.rock(at)dailynews.com (661) 257-5252 CENTER OPENING The Valencia weSPARK center will open July 10 at 25751 McBean Parkway, Suite 110 (near the meditation pool downstairs). For information, including hours and sponsor or volunteer opportunities, call (661) 362-6388 or visit their Web site at www.wespark.org CAPTION(S): box Box: CENTER OPENING (see text) |
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