A breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed in 1997, Barbara has had more than one life-changing encounter with the disease. When she was eight years old, Barbara lost her mother to breast cancer. Yet instead of letting cancer control her life, Barbara has chosen to empower herself and others by increasing the stores of wisdom and knowledge that are dedicated to improving outcomes for breast cancer patients.
Following her treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center under the care of Barbara Smith, MD, PhD, she served on the Women’s Cancers Visiting Committee at the hospital and has been an ongoing supporter of the Friends of the Cancer Center. Barbara also decided to meet a need that she and other patients shared — the need for practical advice on coping with cancer. In 2001, using her success as a novelist as a platform, she interviewed hundreds of patients and their loved ones, and published Uplift: Secrets from the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors, a handbook of first-hand tips on nurturing oneself and others throughout treatment.
Barbara donates all proceeds from the sale of Uplift to the Barbara Delinsky Charitable Foundation, which has funded a research fellowship at Massachusetts General in breast cancer surgery.
