One Yorktown organization has services 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help women who are diagnosed with breast cancer.

It is a mother's wish to watch her kids grow up.

"My oldest is applying to college right now, so that was something I really wanted to be there, to walk him through that process," says Christina Rae, of Somers. But when she heard the words "you have cancer," a flood of emotions rolled in.

"Am I going to make it? Am I going to be there for my kids?" Rae recalls.

Rae was diagnosed with the highly aggressive HER-2 breast cancer in July 2021.

She had a lumpectomy and was deemed cancer free, but went through weeks of chemo and radiation therapy as a precaution.

Rae will soon complete treatment of herceptin, which she says prevents her cancer from returning.

"It's been a very long 15 months," she says.

A group of women have been there to help her through it -- Support Connection, a nonprofit that offers counseling services and programs to patients and survivors of ovarian and breast cancer. Their counselors are all cancer survivors themselves.

Peer counselor Marlene Stager says the most common conversations are about the emotional and physical struggle someone who has been diagnosed is going through. Stager also says those newly diagnosed also look to connect with resources.

Everything is a first -- what role did they play in the entire process of all those firsts?

"They were able to explain to me that everything I was feeling was normal and told me every time I completed something, whether it be chemotherapy or radiation, to celebrate that chapter ending," Rae says.

Katherine Quinn, Support Connection's executive director says their goal is to transform fear into hope.

"Someone can come here and talk to someone for five minutes, five hours, whatever they need and however long they need, and everything that we offer is free and confidential," Quinn says.

"No one should fight cancer alone and I am so grateful an organization like this exists. It truly helped me and it helps so many other people get through one of the toughest times of their life," Rae says.

Rae's message to all is to not put off screenings. If she had, she doesn't know if she would have survived for her husband and kids.      

If you would like to reach out to Support Connection, you can visit their website here.