Breast Cancer Retreat, ‘Little Pink Houses of Hope,’ Needed in New Hampshire

Jeanine Patten-Cobble was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. One day after the diagnosis of "an aggressive, malignant tumor in her right breast," Jeanine found herself running on a beach in North Caroline during her family's annual vacation, according to a People article.

She was unsure of how to tell her 11 year old son, Jake, and was running to find some kind of answer.

While on her run, Jeanine saw a beachfront property with dozens of empty vacation homes. She had an epiphany.

Jeanine wanted to create a vacation-like community where breast cancer patients and their families, could get away to relax, be with their loved ones, and distract them from the horrific illness they were battling.

So that's what she did. A year later, after successfully completing her chemo and radiation therapy, Jeanine Patten-Cobble created her nonprofit: Little Pink Houses of Hope.

Jeanine works with homeowners and property managers across the country to donate their homes for free, week-long retreats. There, breast cancer patients and their families can get away with each other and feel part of a bigger community where they can see other families and survivors who have gone through, or are going through, the same thing.

"Over the past 12 years, she and a network of volunteers...have provided vacations, with food and activities like zip-lining, for nearly 2,000 families," according to People.

"We create an environment where they no longer feel so isolated," says Jeanine to People. "Walking alongside them as they create priceless memories is such a privilege."

The nonprofit has retreat areas all over the country. On the website, there are five areas that have retreats in place: Caribbean, midwest, west, southeast, and northeast.

I noticed that the northeast section only had a retreat available in Ocean City, MD, and think that we northeastern people can do better. I think we have phenomenal areas in our neck of the woods, from Hampton beach to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and even from Newburyport, Massachusetts, to Wells, Maine.

The organization, Little Pink Houses of Hope, has an incredible message and goal. There are tons of rented/ Airbnb houses in New England. I think that this area is a great area for a breast cancer patient and family retreat.

If you or anyone you know wants to volunteer for this incredible program, check out the website to volunteer. You will also see an option to apply to a retreat on the website.

"Charlotte-area youth track coach Toshika Hudson-Canon, 43 — who was diagnosed with stage-two breast cancer in January and spent a week at a beachside home on Emerald Isle, N.C., in August with her three kids and husband — found the getaway was relaxing and transformative," according to People.

"It was life-changing," she says, "especially for my children, who became friends with other children in the same situation."

I love this organization and I want to see it in New Hampshire. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancers, according to cancer.org. "It is about 30% (or 1 in 3) of all new female cancers each year."

Hopefully we will see "Little Pink Houses of Hope" retreats in New Hampshire soon.