Bottom Of The Barrel

Mel's Braclets

Mel Simmons grew up as one of nine children in Hingham and settled down with her husband and two children in Rockland. Mel worked for 38 years as a flight attendant: first with Northeast Air Lines then with Delta Air Lines for the majority of her career. In 2000, Mel was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. At the time, she learned that the cancer had spread to 24 lymph nodes and her prognosis was not good. It was then that she began a five year journey that would test her to the core.

It was Mel's habit and pleasure to give little gifts to people she met while receiving chemotherapy at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. As a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines, she had many colleagues who would bring her souvenirs from abroad: lacquer pins, boxes and dolls from Russia, soaps from Nice, Irish tea from Dublin, pashminas and bracelets from Istanbul. Her dearest friend, Kathy Holden, remembers giving Mel twenty of "those bracelets". Mel delighted in giving them as gifts to the oncology nurses, fellow patients or whomever she wished.

Shortly after Mel passed away, those who received the bracelets as gifts began wearing them in her honor. Others started asking how they could do the same. Everyone wanted a little piece of Mel. Another friend, Marie Bradley, had the wonderful idea to put them in a basket at a popular meeting place. She attached a sign that read: "Mel's Bracelets...please take one and leave a donation for the Breast Cancer Research Fund at MGH". The bracelets went like wildfire! Marie called Mel's flight attendant friends to find out how to get more.

In October 2005, Kathy, along with Pauline Alighieri, flew to Istanbul, Turkey, to order 1,000 bracelets. Their original goal was to raise $5,000. Since then, thousands of the bracelets have been sold and nearly $300,000 has been raised to support cancer research. Mel's bracelet has become an outward sign that continues to give hope and inspiration to all who wear it.

Labels: Brest Cancer, Mel

posted by TheWino @ 9:26 AM