"They decided to live life on their own terms, based on their values of compassion, supporting others with cancer, and realizing that there is more to life than making money."
Shannon Carney WIND RIVER CANCER WELLNESS
RETREATS & PROGRAMS SHANNON CARNEY CO-FOUNDER
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othing provides a shift in perspective quite like a health crisis. Shannon Carney, cofounder of Wind River Cancer Wellness Retreats and Programs, and her life-partner and co-founder, David Pschirer, wholeheartedly agree. Shannon and David were part of the corporate workforce until Shannon was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer in 2003. She was working as a lawyer for Wachovia at the time, and as the couple forged ahead with her cancer treatments, they realized that the medical community was great at taking care of treating the cancer, but they were left on their own to manage her fatigue, exhaustion, and emotional stress. “In each three-week cycle of chemo, I would have just a handful of good days, so Dave and I took that time to get outside, go to the mountains, ride bikes, or go to a music festival,” Shannon shares. Each Sunday night before the start of another round of chemo, they
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would have a “chemo party” with friends on their back deck. “This was our way of maintaining some normalcy in our lives,” says Shannon. After work in July 2005, Shannon met her breaking point from being emotionally exhausted. “Dave looked at me and simply told me not to go back,” she recalls. The couple sat down and discussed what they wanted more of in their lives, and what they wanted less of. Shannon explains, “It was a very helpful exercise, and although we didn’t know it at the time, it gave us a powerful filter for making decisions going forward.” In 2006 the couple left their jobs and purchased seven acres in the foothills of western North Carolina to focus on a more holistic approach. “We created a retreat center, complete with wooded land, a vibrant creek, 15-foot waterfalls, gardens, and a variety of walking trails,” Shannon describes. They left
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their well-paying jobs on the corporate scene and decided to live life on their own terms, based on their values of compassion, supporting others with cancer, and realizing that there is more to life than making money. “Our favorite word – then and now – is simplify,” acknowledges Shannon. The Wind River Cancer Wellness Retreats and Programs just celebrated its 13th year of providing no-charge retreats to survivors. Participants at the retreats are able to experience tai chi, yoga, healing touch, nutrition classes, and time for journaling, art, and music. It is a time to encourage survivors to slow down, explore healthy living choices, and learn from each other’s experiences. Wind River is funded by individual support and is the beneficiary of funding from the Colon Cancer Coalition, 24 Foundation, and the Lung Cancer Initiative of NC. w
WRITER MICHELLE LOVE