Meet Marti

Like many, I did not know where to turn beyond medical care or how to move forward and feel like myself again.

I first learned about Cancer Support Community Central Ohio during a conversation at the McConnell Center. At the time, I had already tried my first yoga class somewhere else, I was awful!  “I fell over and did not know the poses.” Still, I decided to try again.

“I courageously signed up for Gentle Yoga at Cancer Support Community… The staff and participants were very welcoming and friendly.”  
What started as one class quickly became something I kept coming back to. I stayed for Cardio Dance, discovered Workout with Friends and Yoga Nidra, and began coming regularly.  Click Here to help us keep our classes NO COST to participate!

Over time, I tried other programs, building a routine that helped me feel stronger and forming meaningful connections along the way. 
I embraced the community in ways that brought me joy. I attended Survivors Day and especially loved the plant and herb giveaway. “My secret is to come at the end when they give everything away that is left over.” I also took part in “Wig Out,” where I had my makeup done by students from a cosmetology school and it was “darling, so much fun.”  It became a place where I found community. Years later, just as life had found a new rhythm, cancer entered my world again, this time in a different way.

In 2025, my husband, Ned, was diagnosed with Stage 3 Lung Cancer. Now, I am walking alongside him as a caregiver, experiencing cancer from an entirely new perspective. “The most important part of being a caregiver is putting your loved one first. It does take time… but you willingly sacrifice for your loved ones.” The role has reshaped my daily life. “The things he used to do easily he cannot do anymore… and he is a different person,” I shared. “Change is hard, so I have to be a different person to deal with all this too and that is tough.”  “I am not a patient person at all… but I am trying so hard to be patient with my husband through his cancer journey. And still, I show up every single day, preparing meals, managing medications, attending doctor’s appointments, and arranging transportation. It is not always easy. But I keep showing up.” 

And through it all, Cancer Support Community Central Ohio remains part of my life, offering consistency, connection, and a way for me to continue caring for myself while caring for my husband. “The exercise classes helped me so much with my cancer and now my husband’s. It’s a way for me to keep moving and stay healthy while enjoying it.” 

The flexibility of these programs has made a meaningful difference. “The fact that I can do it at home in my sweats is a blessing to me because then I don’t skip. If I had to jump in the car, I wouldn’t go as often. And if I’m having a bad hair day, I just turn off my camera.”  These programs provide something steady in the midst of uncertainty and help me keep going when so much feels out of my control.
I encourage others to take that first step. “Walk in the doors… be open, just try things, see if it’s something that appeals to you… make friends.

I am so grateful I did.” Because of this community, I found strength when I needed it most, and now, as I care for my husband, I have a place that helps me keep going.
If you are able, I hope you will consider making a gift of support to Cancer Support Community Central Ohio so others like me can walk through those doors and find the same comfort, connection, and hope.

Because Community Is Stronger Than Cancer. 

 Marti Garvin Timmons