Masoudeh: "You Saved My Life"

"I just wanted tell you that you are doing a very great job.you saved my life 2.5 years ago. I am a gynecologist from Iran. I watched your interview with Mr Gharibafshar in Tapesh TV. I decided to go for Breast MRI eventhough my mamogram was always normal (just like you) I was diagnosed with breast cancer and now I am here, live in Canada and always have your picture in my mind as my hero. I wish the best for you and your friends in this beautiful path, I wish I was there to help you, even though I am trying to do my best here in canada.once again thank you and God blast you."
Masoudeh Golpouneh Nasseri

Andrea: "I'm extremely grateful for your unconditional love and support through my journey because I would have lived in darkness if you had not been my guiding light."

"Thank you for inspiring me to be brave and walk through cancer treatment with pride!
Initially, I lived in denial, as if I were watching someone else's life through my own eyes, but you were inspirational in my greatest step of healing, 'acceptance'.
Cancer is ugly, but you have helped me find the true beauty within the illness throughout my stages of therapy.
I'm extremely grateful for your unconditional love and support through my journey because I would have lived in darkness if you had not been my guiding light.
Your introduction to PACI has been highly rewarding with its amazing outreach support for breast cancer awareness through bridging the public with those who are fighting the battle. Your organization has allowed me to connect with other cancer victims, which has given me strength, along with influential people, such as Bijan Pakzad, who has provided me the utmost positive energy and exquisite taste for life.
You are an Advocator, and Educator, and a Mentor!"
Andrea M.

"No words can describe how thankful I am for your kindness and your support. You are truly an angel. You have no idea what a positive difference you have already made in my grandmother’s and also my family’s life with your phone call.
I have been desperately searching for a cancer support group that is Farsi speaking for past few weeks and I was feeling hopeless of such resource. I had called the American cancer society which was a dead end, found some Farsi speaking support groups online in Canada and San Francisco but nothing in southern California , and then finally through emailing every Persian person I have ever known I got lucky and was directed to you.
My phenomenal 75 year old grandmother got diagnosed with breast cancer in June and since then we been through lumpectomy on her right breast and then lymphectomy of her right axilla, post op severe lymphedema, tons of pain, tons of crying, and denial. Her cancer is stage three, progesterone, estrogen sensitive and thankfully her2 and bone scan negative. Last Monday we started her chemo regimen and after chemo they say we need to do radiation and then hormone therapy.
This whole thing has not only destroyed her it is slowly chipping away my mom, dad, brother and I. Through this whole process we have no one to turn to who has gone through breast cancer and get some guidness, emotional and social support. I myself am a 3rd year medical student at UCI and know and understand the significance of having support groups. I feel that sometimes they are more important than anything else. If you feel alone and hopeless what is the point of chemo? I see the difference between the psyche of my patients that have support and use ACS resources and my patients that don’t. I only wish that my own grandmother could explore what is happening to her with help of other people who have gone through this traumatic diagnosis or are going through it now. I want her to meet survivors and maybe she can stop thinking that she is dying and wanting to go back to Iran to die. I want the myth of cancer (saretan ) = death of our culture to be vanished from her mind. I want her to get strong and head this thing forward. But unfortunately my grandmother has a language barrier and cannot speak any other languages but Farsi and cannot use any ACS resources. Moreover I want my mom to be able to talk to other primary caregivers of cancer patients and get some advice. She never done this before and it is hard to watch her beloved mom go through this and to see her in pain. I also think it is important for her to talk to other Persian people since our culture has a different view of cancer and mortality (a ridiculous one may I add).
No matter how much we are there for my grandmother we can never ever understand what she and her body are going through. Only another cancer survivor or patient can understand her, one that specifically speaks Farsi.
That is why finding you and your organization is new hope. These past few weeks I feel my whole family is falling a part and we are only a few weeks in fighting this damn cancer. I really think and know that finding this organization can change a lot. For one my grandmother has been refusing to cut her hair or plan for what she will do for her hair loss. Since she has not lost her hair yet she thinks it won’t fall out. Nothing I or my mom told her worked. But you made all the difference. After your phone call she told my mom to take her to cut her hair and to go and find her a wig incase she decides to wear one. She sounded excited and couldn’t believe that a stranger will donate so much her time for her. I had told her before that I am going to find her a support group and if I don’t find one that I was going to create one. She kept telling me to not worry about it and not to pursue such thing. After talking to you she said she really wants to go to a meeting and that she thinks I might be right and maybe talking to other people who had or have cancer she can get some peace.
Cancer does not discriminate and as Iranians we need to realize that. We have to also surpass our cultural mentality of cancer, chronic disease and mortality. I really think PACI can be the leader in leading such movement. I have already seen it work with even one phone call. We are a strong community in the southern California and I think it is our duty to support one another and to bring the warmth and kindness that runs in each Iranian’s blood to effect. We are an enriched culture with powerful resources starting from our philosophies of life, our inherited kindness, to all the successful Persian physicians and academics that we have. I think we need to make these resources into a viable and tangible organization where each Iranian can access. Thank you for being a pioneer and hopefully you can lead the movement. I have so much more to say and looking forward to meeting you in person to discuss them. Moreover I also want to volunteer for your organization and help you to make it stand stronger. However I am a medical student and my time is mostly occupied and not going to be as available as I would like to be. Hopefully I will match for a residency at UCLA next year and I could be closer by to do more. And furthermore in the future as a physician you have my full support and time. Once again thank you, thank you so much"
Golpouneh Nasseri, California