VIDEO: Huntington Hospital Hosts Cancer Wellness Event For Patients, Caregivers

HUNTINGTON, NY — Huntington Hospital hosted a cancer wellness event on April 23 to support both patients and caregivers.

The hospital’s “Pathways to Wellness” resource fair, organized through its caregiver center, brought together clinicians, social workers, and wellness specialists to address the realities that often exist beyond diagnosis and treatment.

While the hospital’s caregiver center already serves seniors and Alzheimer’s caregivers, organizers realized cancer caregivers were an underserved group.

“We realized we had a large number of cancer caregivers, and we weren’t offering programming for them," said program manager Kacey Farber. "That was a missed opportunity. We know that having a diagnosis of cancer, living with cancer, is very scary, and we know that caregivers also feel very isolated. So we put together this event to connect them with resources, give them a space to talk to others going through the same thing, and introduce wellness practices that can help them cope.”

Organizers separated attendees into small groups which rotated through three stations. One room connected participants with about a dozen community organizations offering services and guidance. Another focused on education and conversation, where patients and caregivers spoke with dietitians and, just as importantly, with each other. A third room leaned into wellness, offering guided meditation, breathing techniques and movement-based practices designed to reduce stress.

“We wanted it to feel personal,” Farber said to Patch. “Not one massive room where people feel overwhelmed, but smaller groups where they can really engage, ask questions, and connect.

The event highlighted how cancer care extends far beyond medical treatment. Social worker Liana Maher, who works closely with patients through support groups, said many of the most important needs are the ones that don’t show up in a chart.

“It’s about the physical, mental and spiritual parts of healing,” Maher said to Patch. “Even if someone has a good prognosis, just hearing the word ‘cancer’ creates anxiety and stress. These wellness tools—movement, breathing, meditation—help reduce that and give people a way to manage what they’re feeling. You don’t really understand what someone is going through unless you’ve gone through it yourself. When patients come together, they’re able to relate in a way that even family and friends can’t.”

Christine Smith and Debbie Weiss, two Huntington residents and friends who have both faced breast cancer, now lean on each other as part of their support system.

“If you try to look at everything all at once, it’s too much,” Smith said to Patch. “You have to take it step by step—chemo, surgery, radiation—and celebrate each step as you go. If someone had told me at the beginning that this would take years, I would have panicked. But doing it one piece at a time made it manageable.”

Weiss, who was diagnosed in January 2025 after a routine mammogram despite having no symptoms, said focusing on one stage at a time helped her navigate a process she never expected to face.

“I felt like I did everything right,” she said to Patch. “I went for my screenings, I lived a healthy lifestyle, and then you hear you have cancer. So you just focus on what’s in front of you, deal with that, and then move to the next step.”

Patients also described a lingering sense of uncertainty which doesn’t disappear once procedures are complete. While doctors guide the medical side of treatment, the emotional experience is something patients often have to navigate together.

“There’s a cancer mindset, and then there’s the after-cancer mindset,” Weiss said. “Even when you’re done, you still question things—every ache, every pain. That fear doesn’t just go away. It’s a club nobody wants to belong to. But once you’re in it, the people in it understand you in a way others can’t.”

The event introduced attendees to specialized therapies and simple breathing techniques that can be used during moments of stress. The use of immersive technology was also utilized to bring meaningful experiences to patients who may be physically limited. The system allows users to feel as though they are in different environments—from beaches to theme parks—offering moments of escape and connection.

Farber said the response was exactly what organizers hoped to create. The caregiver center, she said, has focused on providing practical guidance, but the cancer event was designed to bring those resources together.

“When someone is very sick or bedbound, they can’t go out into the world the way they used to,” Farber said. “So we bring those experiences to them. It creates special moments for families at a time when that can be really hard.”

The event may mark the beginning of a larger effort to address a growing need.

“In the beginning, I would drive all the way to Roslyn because that was the only thing I could find,” Smith said. “So having something like this locally makes a huge difference.”

Huntington Hospital organizers said they are already considering how to build on the program and reach more people in the community.

“I hope this becomes something they do every year,” Weiss said. “There’s a real need for this, especially here.”