>> IT WAS THE HARDEST THING.
>> HER STORY IS PRETTY
INCREDIBLE.
ONE LACED WITH SAD IRONY BUT
ALSO THE SPIRIT OF A FIGHTER.
>> IN 1991, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH
BREAST CANCER.
I HAD JUST TURNED 30.
BOTH OF MY CHILDREN WERE JUST
ENTERING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
LIFE WAS GOOD.
AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE BRAKES
WERE HALTED.
>> AT THE TIME, KARLEEN HABIN
WORKED AS A NURSE AT UMASS
MEDICAL CENTER, AND IN ONLY WHAT
CAN BE DESCRIBED AS CRUEL
COINCIDENCE, SHE WOULD NOT BE
ALONE IN HER BATTLE.
WITHIN MONTHS, SEVERAL OF HER
FELLOW NURSES, ALL UNDER THE AGE
OF 35, WERE DIAGNOSED WITH
CANCER.
KARLEEN: WE WORKED TOGETHER IN
SUPPORTING ONE ANOTHER THROUGH
OUR ILLNESS.
UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS THE ONLY
ONE TO SURVIVE.
>> NOW ON A MISSION IN MEMORY OF
THOSE WHO WALKED WITH HER
THROUGH THAT JOURNEY.
KARLEEN: FOR ALL OF THOSE OTHER
PEOPLE WHO WERE LESS FORTUNATE,
I DECIDED I WAS GOING TO GO OUT
THE GATE AND DO SOMETHING FOR
THEM.
I ESTABLISHED THE FIRST
STATEWIDE BREAST CANCER RESOURCE
GUIDE IN THE STATE OF
MASSACHUSETTS.
>> PROVIDING INFORMATION FOR
PATIENTS WELL BEFORE THE
INTERNET MADE THINGS EASIER.
KARLEEN HABIN WOULD GO ON TO
WORK IN NURSING RESEARCH,
EVENTUALLY FINDING HER WAY TO
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
AS THE NURSE MANAGER OF BREAST
ONCOLOGY RESEARCH.
AFTER NEARLY 15 YEARS IN
REMISSION, IN 2005, A REGULAR
SCHEDULE MAMMOGRAM BROUGHT
CRUSHING NEWS.
KARLEEN: THE MAMMOGRAM SHOWED A
VERY SMALL LESION, LESS THAN ONE
CENTIMETER.
I JUST CRIED.
I WOULD LIKE TO PUT IT AWAY AND
THEN PICK UP AND SAY WE HAVE GOT
TO FIGHT THIS WE HAVE TO FIGURE
OUT WHAT TO DO.
>> HABIN SAW HER DIAGNOSIS WITH
THE INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE NOW AS A
PROFESSIONAL AND A PATIENT, AS
ANOTHER CHANCE TO DO MORE.
KARLEEN: WE CREATED THE BREAST
CANCER RESOURCE FOUNDATION.
>> WHEN A PATIENT IS DIAGNOSED
WITH CANCER, THERE’S OFTEN OTHER
EXPENSES THAT INSURANCE DOES NOT
COVER.
THEY MAY NEED AW  -- A WIG, THEY
MAY NEED MEALS THEY CANNOT
AFFORD.
WE GOT TOGETHER WITH A GROUP OF
ONCOLOGY NURSES AND STARTED THE
CANCER RESOURCE FOUNDATION.
KARLEEN: SHE STARTED THE
FOUNDATION ALSO KNOWN AS CANCER
ONE SOURCE, A NONPROFIT THAT
GIVES FREE TESTING FOR BREAST
CANCER PATIENTS AND THEIR
FAMILIES.
WOODFORD CREDITS MUCH OF THE
ORGANIZATION’S SUCCESS TO HABIN
'
’S STEADFAST VISION.
>> SHE REALLY ENGULFS HERSELF
WITH THE DATA, THE PUBLICATIONS,
TO SEE WHAT THE LATEST AND MOST
CURRENT THINGS ARE.
>> THROUGH HER WORK, HABIN WOULD
AGAIN FIND HEALING.
BUT NOW, A DECADE LATER, FOR THE
THIRD TIME, A PATIENT OF THE
VERY DISEASE SHE HAS DEDICATED
HER LIFE’S WORK TO.
KARLEEN:KARLEEN: I NOTICED
SWELLING ON MY JAW, GOT THE MRI.
YOU CAN SEE THE BRAIN.
I HAD MORE THAN 20 BRAIN TUMORS
IN THE BRAIN.
THIS WAS NOT JUST BEING
DIAGNOSED WITH ANOTHER CANCER WE
COULD PROBABLY TREAT.
THIS IS A TERMINAL DIAGNOSIS.
I HAVE SIX TO 12 MONTHS TO LIVE.
>> THE SAME NURSES WHO SHE
TRAINED PROFESSIONALLY,
COLLEAGUES SHE SUPPORTED, NOW BY
HER SIDE, IN A SENSE, HABIN NOW
THE BENEFICIARY OF DECADES OF
HER OWN DEDICATION TO CARE.
KARLEEN: 10 TIMES OVER.
10 TIMES OVER.
IT’S THE FACT THAT SOMETIMES, A
NURSE IS WILLING TO HOLD YOUR
HAND AT THE MOST DIFFICULT TIME,
AND JUST THAT TOUCH.
DEAR KARLEEN, WHEN I FIRST HEARD
YOU HAD LEFT YOUR POSITION --
>> IN THE 30 PLUS YEARS SHE HAS
HELD SPACE FOR PATIENTS DURING
THEIR VULNERABLE TIME, FEW HAVE
KNOWN OF HER STRUGGLE.
KARLEEN: YOU MADE ME FEEL LIKE I
WAS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT PATIENT.
>> WITH AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF
TIME LEFT, THIS NURSE, WIFE,
MOTHER, AND GRANDMOTHER WANTS TO
LEAVE BEHIND SOMETHING THAT WILL
LIVE ON, TO BENEFIT HER
COLLEAGUES.
KARLEEN: IT’S ABOUT ALL OF US
COMING TOGETHER TO TELL THE
STORY ABOUT WHAT THE NURSING
IMPACT IS, AND IN TELLING THAT
STORY, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO
RAISE THOSE FUNDS TO DO MORE.
>> THIS TIME, SHE IS HOPING TO
BUILD A NEW FOUNDATION.
KARLEEN: I WANT TO PROVIDE A
FUND TO CONTINUE NURSING
RESEARCH.
NURSING RESEARCH IS SO IMPORTANT
TO THE CARE OF OUR CANCER
PATIENTS.
WHATEVER IT IS, I JUST HOPE THAT
IT PROVIDES A SEED FOR THIS TO
TAKE OFF.
ANTHONY: KARLEEN HABIN CONTINUES
HER CANCEL BATTLE BUT TELLS
-- HER CANCER BATTLE BUT TELLS
NICOLE SHE IS RESPONDING TO NEW
TREATMENTS.
SHE HAS ALSO ADDED A NEW FOCUS
TO HER FUNDRAISING EFFORTS FOR
NURSING RESEARCH AND RELIEF,
SUPPORTING NURSES WHO ARE
TREATING COVID-19 PATIENTS.
COMI
