 Jamie and her Christ Hospital collogues By Brad Underwood, WKRC
COLUMBIA TUSCULUM, Ohio (WKRC) – It’s been a year that has challenged us -- one like we’ve never ever seen. For frontline workers, it’s one many are ready to move past. That may have been the case for one ICU nurse, until Wednesday. After her shift at The Christ Hospital, Jamie Helbig got the best news of 2020. Helbig and her fiancé, Andrew Ackerman, should have gotten married in March, but the pandemic postponed that. And, for a brief time, Helbig was furloughed from the hospital. Then, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had no insurance to pay for the treatments ahead. "I didn’t get my benefits, but they were able to raise everything for me for insurance and everything else,” said Helbig. The “they” Helbig is referring to are her peers and co-workers on the front lines at Christ. They kept in her in the fight, a fight she's still in. "Jamie is a rock star. She works in the COVID ICU and is now transitioning to giving vaccines, which is incredible,” said Angeline Wellington. Wellington works for the Karen Wellington Foundation (KWF), named in honor of her mother who passed away 14 years ago from breast cancer. KWF is all about fun and sends women and families living with cancer on special vacations, but this is big: It’s Number 1,000. On Wednesday, KWF gave Helbig and Ackerman the best news of 2020: a trip to Maui, Hawaii! Read More  by Clancy Burke, WKRC
The Karen Wellington Foundation gifts vacations to women living with breast cancer, but the coronavirus pandemic has forced the Cincinnati-based non-profit to get creative. "You have to constantly adjust and we didn't sit back," said founder Kent Wellington. "We moved forward and tried to find creative ways to find fun that took into account social distancing and safety because cancer is not slowing down and we don't want to either." READ MORE Karen Wellington Foundation Provides Essential Element for Women Battling Breast Cancer: FUN3/27/2018
Northern Kentucky Tribune. Read Vicki Pritchard's article HERE.
KWF thanks the many organizations who organized fundraisers throughout October. Read about Barb Kunkel in our "Volunteer Spotlight". Check it out HERE. Check out Fox 19's story about The Karen Wellington Foundation! Celebrating 10 Years of FUN with The Karen Wellington Foundation for LIVING with Breast Cancer. Meet Angeline, Robby and Kent Wellington as they share the legacy they carry on with Karen's dream of sending one woman/family LIVING with breast cancer, to more than 350 and counting. Click HERE to view.  |
