Every Step A Story: Jamie's Journey from Healing to Giving Back

Posted on Posted on July 14, 2026July 23, 2026

Meet Jamie

When Jamie first walked through the doors of Mary’s Place by the Sea in December 2017, she entered as a day guest. 15 months removed from her breast cancer diagnosis, she immediately felt something special. Accompanied by her friend, Jamie instantly felt kindness, support, hope and a sense of peace that had been difficult to find amid the challenges of cancer.

This feeling stayed with her long after she returned home, beginning Jamie’s story with us.

Knowing how much the experience meant to her, Jamie was in hopes of booking her return for an overnight retreat. After attempts of coordinating schedules with her friend proved difficult, Jamie was worried she would miss her opportunity altogether. So, in December 2018, she made the brave decision to, for the first time in her life, travel somewhere overnight on her own!

As soon as she stepped back into the house and saw her private room waiting, she knew she made the right choice.

During those two nights and three days, Jamie shared meals, services, stories and meaningful moments with the other guests. Together, they created connections rooted in understanding and compassion. In those beautiful quiet moments, she spent her time reading through the journal left in her room, filled with reflections from women who had walked similar paths. The experience left a profound impact on her, one she describes as “life changing.”

As her stay came to a close, Jamie took with her something she didn’t expect: lasting friendships and a desire to one day give back to the place that had given her so much.

Volunteering had always been a party of Jamie’s life. A wife of 35 years, mother of three grown children, and a part-time realtor, she had spent more than two decades serving her children’s schools, volunteering on HSA boards and creating a K-8 track program that she led for nine years. As her children grew up, she found herself searching for a new way to make a difference.

The answer felt obvious.

In November 2019, Jamie returned to Mary’s Place, this time as a volunteer. Working alongside the chef, the kitchen is a place she loves to be as she helps prepare nourishing plant based meals for the guests.

“Many of them never take time for themselves,” Jamie says. “Others have struggled to enjoy food during treatment. Seeing them finish a meal and join the ‘clean plate club’ always makes me smile.”

Her connection to Mary’s Place extends beyond her time in the house.

Each year, she looks forward to the Walk-A-Thon, encouraging family and friends to participate alongside her. Last year, after a total knee replacement, she worked hard with her physical therapist so she could walk the course, crossing the finish line beside a close friend who had recently been a guest.

Today, Jamie has come full circle. Once a guest seeking comfort and healing, she now helps create that same experience for other women!

We hope you’ll join us this October as we walk together in celebration.