“You can either be mad and angry about it, or you can do something with it, learn something from it. It only has the power over you that you give it.”
That was the response Charissa Hamilton-Gribenas’ husband, Rick, gave to her when she asked him how he was so calm and accepting of his cancer.
Following his death to a recurrence of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in March of 2009, Charissa followed his advice and approached her new beginning as a young widow the same way Rick had challenged his illness. She was also inspired to find a way to help other young adult cancer patients and formed BRICKS (Building Resources In Cancer Knowledge & Services) for Young Adults, an organization that aims to connect young adult cancer patients to people and resources that may be useful to them as they undergo treatment and beyond.