Star of the Month

Each month, we will feature a new Star - someone who has provided outstanding support and friendship during a the cancer experience. Even on the darkest of days - these Stars shone bright!

Julie Heckel
Kirkland, WA

Honored by Jayne Collins

Julie Heckel was in training to become a nurse during her friend Jayne Collins’ treatment for breast cancer. It wasn’t long into Jayne’s cancer diagnosis that Julie was able to put her training to work. She researched alternative therapies, read many books and went online to get help. She also tapped into personal experiences with other cancer survivors to support Jayne through difficult times.

Julie kept a notebook for Jayne’s doctor visits – she wrote down questions that Jayne may have skipped over or not been able to ask during visits, and Julie would take initiative when Jayne couldn’t ask questions.

But Jayne says that the most valuable aspect of their friendship throughout her cancer was having someone she could talk to. “Julie understood what I was feeling, at times when even my husband could not relate to my experience. It was comforting to have a friend like Julie nearby, especially on particularly bad days.”

Julie and Jayne made going to lunch a routine during Jayne’s treatment – when she felt good enough to eat. “I tried to stay away from foods I love, because I didn’t want to ruin the taste. We discovered that Japanese noodle soup settled my stomach – we made a point to eat that for lunch sometimes after my treatments,” says Jayne.

When asked what sorts of personal sacrifices she made as a caregiver, Julie recognized that there were many competing priorities with school and family, but insisted that she never felt that she was making sacrifices. “There are no sacrifices with caregiving – there are choices. I chose to be there for Jayne when she needed me. Being there for her was important to me, so I just did it. My life found a way to fit around that.”