44 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | JUNE 2018 A 2ND ACT { stories of perseverance } Judy Pearson | Contributing Writer KEEP CALM AND LIVE A 2ND ACT You’ve no doubt heard the words, “Physician, heal thyself.” I’m applying a slight twist to that this month by saying, “Writer, write about thyself.” When I approached Frontdoors about creating a column spotlighting organizations that had been created out of personal experience, it was because I had done just that. And insomuch as June 3 is the 31 st annual National Cancer Survivors Day, it seemed fitting to spotlight my organization, A2ndAct.org . I was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in April 2011. It was the worst possible time — I was a newlywed and my son was deploying to Afghanistan. But in reality, does cancer ever come at a good time? I had thoroughly researched mastectomies and chemotherapy, but it never occurred to me to research survivorship. At the end of it all, I figured the old Judy would just jump out of the chemo cake. I learned quickly that cancer doesn’t end when treatment does. Joint pain, night sweats, brain fog, chronic fatigue and insomnia descended on me like a swarm of locusts. And the guilt. I had survived my cancer while many didn’t; who was I to complain? So many others had far worse collateral damage from their journeys. And the greatest puzzle of all? What purpose did cancer serve in my life? I came across some pre-cancer research I had done about the health benefits There’s healing in helping.

JUNE 2018 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 45 Judy Pearson is a journalist, published author, and the founder of A2ndAct.org. Her organization supports and celebrates women survivors of all cancers as they give back to the greater good in their 2nd Acts. Her passion is finding those who have healed themselves by helping others. of volunteering. Then I started meeting women survivors who, whether they were told they had no evidence of disease or that they had to live with their cancer, were using their gifts of life and experience to give back to the greater good. Bam! A 2nd Act was born with that as its mission. Women heal differently from men, using collaboration, communication and nurturing others in the process. A 2nd Act capitalizes on those in all of our women-centric programs. Phoenix-born, we are the only organization in the country with this mission. For us, survivors’ second acts don’t have to be cancer- related. Children, animals, the environment — whatever makes the heart sing — even if it’s free-spirited acts of kindness. And in this case, size doesn’t matter. The doing does. Our work includes annual fundraising stage performances, with casts of eight local women sharing their 2nd Act stories woven into an inspiring tapestry of triumph; our book, an ever-growing collection of the stories heard on our stages; micro grants, seed money for local women survivors to launch or grow their second acts; workshops, offered free of charge to women ready to discover or refine their second acts; and our fabulous Girls Night Out, free, quarterly get-togethers for women survivors to network, laugh and share in a safe environment. They’re not frivolous parties — a lot of healing goes on at those events. We welcome women survivors of any age. Over our two and a half years, our cast members’ ages have ranged from 15 to 77. We also welcome survivors of any cancer. Collectively, our cast members represent 15 different types. Some are two- and three-time survivors, and some will always have cancer. But spend five minutes in a room with them and you’ll be inspired to create a second act, no matter what your life challenge. I’ve heard that last line from audience members. I’ve also heard from cast members that their participation was life-changing. Workshop attendees have told me it gave them new hope, and one said it saved her life. A woman who came to a Girls Night Out said she’d never seen so many laughing survivors in one place. Comments like those warm my heart. They give me the energy and inspiration to do more, and do it better. Because you see, dear reader, THIS is my 2nd Act. Through cancer, Judy Pearson lost her hair and gained a cause. Here, her husband shaves her head.