A year after her mother was found to have cancer, Selena Levy received her own cancer diagnosis. She was 42 with children then aged nine and 12 and she was concerned about how to break the news to them.
Recommended to Chai Cancer Care by her mother, she received “amazing advice on how to tell our children”. Along with fellow North London Chai client Rochelle Goldstein, Ms Levy shared her story of the charity’s support in the appeal video at Monday’s Chai dinner at the Roundhouse in Camden, where more than £1.2 million was raised from the 750 guests.
Chai’s advice was that “you have to be honest, but obviously you have to be very positive because you don’t want to scare them [the children]”, Ms Levy recalled.
She also benefited from counselling from a therapist, because “there’s some things you don’t want to burden your nearest and dearest with — and that’s what Chai’s there for.
“There’s this hand of support. They’re caring and you feel when you walk in [that] you’re surrounded by love. “I still get phone calls from them saying ‘Is there anything more we can do for you? Are you getting everything you need from Chai?’ They go above and beyond.”
Several years on, she now visits Chai only once a month, receiving acupuncture to relieve the side effects of her medication. “Once you’ve been and you’re part of them, they are there for you.”
Ms Goldstein, who was diagnosed earlier this year, said she felt as though Chai staff have “always got their arms around me. Just to know it’s there is such a nice feeling. It’s just such a warm environment. “It feels like it’s your safety net should you need it. There’s nothing like Chai.”
The theme of the dinner was “The Moment”, as in the moment someone receives a cancer diagnosis. “Your life can change in a split second,” Ms Levy told the JC. For Ms Goldstein, “the moment” was telling her family.
She was pleased that the funds raised from the dinner would give others in her situation immediate access to the services Chai provides. “They were just so welcoming and made me feel so wanted. We wouldn’t want that being taken away from anyone.”
