By Jessica Easthope
For Jeanine Condon, her battle with cancer feels like a lifetime ago.
“I was 27 at the time and it was hard, I had stage four Hodgkin’s Lymphoma I was in the hospital for a month,” she told Currents News. “I did eight months of chemo, lost my hair and it was a hard time,” Jeanine, a co-owner of Charmed by J L M in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, added.
But she’s never stopped fighting for survivors and those still battling cancer.
“I believe God gives you things you can handle,” Jeanine said.
On Saturday, 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, will be a sea of pink for “3rd on 3rd,” a breast cancer fundraiser with businesses donating proceeds and giving back. Jeanine and her store will be participating.
Chrisie Canny is the event’s organizer. She also has a line of bracelets that help cancer patients in a unique way. Her company is called “Vented” and the bracelets she makes hold essential oils like peppermint and lavender. The scents come through small vents in the front of the bracelets and help cancer patients with the nausea they commonly feel while undergoing treatment.
Her mission is not only to support those affected by cancer but also the local businesses who have struggled during the pandemic.
“What this weekend usually is the 3rd Avenue Festival, it’s a big money weekend,” she explained. “But unfortunately, because of COVID we can’t have that. So this is a way to bring everybody safely and make up for some losses.”
One of the participating businesses is The Green Spa & Wellness Center. Co-owner Maureen Brody just celebrated one year cancer-free. During her cancer journey, Maureen created a product that made her treatment easier and has since helped countless others.
“I created a cream for myself while going through radiation to help prevent burns, and afterwards people came to me and asked if I could give them some for others they knew who were going through it as well,” Maureen said.
Maureen says that since her diagnosis, her faith has only gotten stronger.
“It actually brought me closer to God,” she said. “You need all the support you can get, and it very much strengthened my faith during that time.”
The three women are all about giving back. It’s what keeps their Brooklyn roots rooted in faith.