Patricia Rodi has been a dedicated volunteer at Hope & Cope since 2006. As a peer mentor, she has found the work deeply meaningful, impactful, and profoundly rewarding. “I hope that even a small part of my experience helps the patients I speak with face each day,” she says.
Reflecting on her journey
“As difficult as it was, I feel that my cancer was a gift. In a way, it was a blessing; it led me to volunteering, which has been a true gift in my life.”
Patricia was diagnosed with stage 3B stomach cancer in 2004 at the age of thirty-five. At the time, her life was just beginning to take shape. She had been married for four years, was raising her young daughter, and was in the midst of building a home with her husband. Her diagnosis abruptly disrupted that sense of possibility.
She underwent a high-risk surgery, followed by 25 chemotherapy treatments and 25 radiation sessions. It felt inconceivable to her, to have to begin chemotherapy on her daughter’s second birthday.
While she is deeply grateful that the treatments saved her life, and that she was able to see her daughter grow up, they left lasting effects.
“I am left with a different anatomy,” she explains. “Living without a stomach has brought many health challenges. I had to relearn how to eat, and managing my health has become a full-time job.”
Throughout her treatment, fear was constant. “I lived with tremendous fear every day,” she recalls. “And even after, every scan brought the fear of recurrence.”
At the time, the experience felt surreal. “Receiving cancer treatments was like an out-of-body experience.” Unable to fully connect with herself, she felt detached, as though it was happening to someone else.
An unexpected realization
A decade later, while writing her memoir, Patricia experienced an epiphany; a reawakening in her sense of self.
“Something within me shifted,” she says. “It felt like I came back to myself. I realized that while fear may always be there, I didn’t have to let it control my life.”
The realization helped her finish her memoir. As well, it brought her a deep sense of relief, along with peace and gratitude.
Listening attentively is the gift I can offer.
She now shares this insight with those she mentors: “You have every right to be afraid. But with time, you learn not to let fear be bigger than your life. Even with that fear, you can still find gratitude and appreciation.”
“Listening attentively is the gift I can offer,” she says. “By sharing my experience, I hope to help others face each day.”
First peer mentoring experience
After her surgery, Patricia was paired with a peer mentor, an older man who had undergone treatment for the same cancer.
“It was comforting to talk to someone who truly understood,” she says. “It helped me feel less alone.”
Despite the support of family and friends, the experience had been isolating. “I was very frightened. Being mentored guided me on how to care for myself.”
Inspired by that experience, Patricia became a peer mentor just one year after completing treatment. Although peer mentoring does not require in-person interaction, the connections formed over the phone can be deeply meaningful. At the time she began volunteering, Patricia was still physically weak and immunocompromised.
“Peer mentoring suited me,” she explains. “Through phone conversations, I could connect with others, share my story, and listen to their questions and concerns.”
Through this work, she discovered something profound about herself.
“Volunteering showed me my capacity to form deep connections with others,” she says. “The relationships I built through mentoring were unlike any I had known.”
Helping others, she reflects, has always been a part of who she is.
“I’ve always felt a deep desire to help people, and volunteering has given me the opportunity to do that. I hope to continue offering support and helping others feel at peace with their journey, whatever the outcome.”
Hope & Cope offers free peer mentoring for people living with cancer. If you or someone you know is living with cancer and would find relief by speaking to someone, contact our support program coordinator.
Would you like to make a difference in the lives of people affected by cancer? Hope & Cope is always looking for dedicated volunteers. Contact us at volunteering@hopeandcope.ca to learn more, or fill out the application form.
