A hoodie and hope: New Jersey women share sweatshirt to bring comfort during breast cancer treatment
The Livingston, NJ woman bought a simple sweatshirt online to make recovery more comfortable—but it turned into something much more meaningful.
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“You have the physical diagnosis, and then there is the emotional part of it.”
Lauren Feldman was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019 and underwent a lumpectomy, radiation and then ultimately got a double mastectomy in 2022 as part of her treatment
The Livingston, NJ woman bought a simple sweatshirt online to make recovery more comfortable—but it turned into something much more meaningful.
“To have this sweatshirt and to give it to other people who are on this journey means so much,” said Feldman.
When Feldman finished treatment, she wasn’t sure what to do with the hoodie, which carried painful memories.
But when her friend Nancy Fitch was diagnosed in 2023, she decided to pass it on.
“Lauren and I were going for a walk, and I was like, this is bigger than just handing it off to the next woman,” said Fitch.
So they began writing encouraging messages inside the hoodie—phrases like “Stronger Together” and “We are braver than we believe.”
Since then, every woman who has worn it has added her own note of support.
“The words of encouragement... I think I cried after reading every single one of them,” said Elissa Langer, who received the sweatshirt after her diagnosis in 2024. “They are so moving and so supportive.”
Jennifer Kantor is the most recent recipient of the sweatshirt.
“Whenever I was feeling stressed or felt like I wasn’t doing the right thing, these were the women I reached out to—these three and others who aren’t here today,” said Kantor. “They were the ones who helped me feel calmer.”
They say it’s a club no one wants to be part of—but it has the best members. And now, their bond is stronger than ever.
“Somebody described it as, when they got it, it felt like a hug from us,” said Feldman. “We know what they’re going through, and we’ll always be there for them.”
