Skip to menu Skip to content Skip to footer
Home » October focused on breast cancer

October focused on breast cancer

    A woman smiling while wearing a red and white patterned cardigan, sitting on a sofa.

    For much of the world, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For Wellness House and participants like Justine Kennedy, it’s every month.

    Kennedy, a resident of Countryside, was 35 when she received a diagnosis of Stage 2B breast cancer. It wasn’t until after surgery and radiation that Kennedy turned to Wellness House to help her through what is, for many women, the hardest part of recovery.

    “I still carry a lot of grief at times,” said Kennedy, who continues to navigate the side effects of medication and the emotional and physical changes that come with healing. Wellness House and its many programs have been a big help, Kennedy said.

    She regularly attends a support group for young women with breast cancer – one of several support groups designed specifically for those affected by breast cancer.

    Read more in The Hinsdalean

    The words “The Hinsdalean” appear in large, bold, serif font on a plain background.

    Related

    A family of two adults and four children sit together on a couch in a living room, all smiling at the camera.

    Fall-Winter Newsletter 2026

      When Justine was diagnosed with breast cancer at 37, she already understood the science. What she couldn’t fully know was what cancer would ask of

      Tall floral centerpiece with green foliage and hanging glass ornaments on a table in an elegantly decorated venue with blurred lights in the background.

      Light the Way’ for Wellness House and the year ahead – The Hinsdalean

        This year, the Wellness Ball on Saturday, Oct. 24, kicks off the year in high style at the Ritz-Carlton in Chicago. The theme, “Light the Way,” reflects the guiding role that Wellness House plays in helping people navigate the emotional, physical and practical challenges of cancer. This year’s chairs – Dr. Angela Crowley and Dr. R. Webster Crowley; Jennifer Carmody Haunty and Jake Haunty; and Dr. Gale England Smith and Stephen Smith – all of Hinsdale, have deeply personal reasons to step into leadership roles this year. If it’s true that everyone has been affected by cancer in one way or another (including this columnist), it’s doubly so for this year’s chairs, three of whom are doctors and three of whom lost their spouses to cancer.

        A woman and a man are smiling and posing closely together outdoors, with other people blurred in the background.

        Finding Hope Again – Light the Way Wellness House Ball

          For Jennifer Carmody Haunty and Jake Haunty, Wellness House represents far more than a place. It represents connection, community and the reminder that no one has to face cancer alone.Although their paths would eventually intersect, each first experienced cancer through profound personal loss.

          Jennifer’s journey began in June 2012 when her husband, Matt, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma at age 38. At the time, the couple had three young children, with a fourth on the way. After a year in remission, the family moved to Hinsdale in July 2013. One year later, Matt’s cancer returned, and he passed away while preparing for a stem-cell transplant.