About Chrysalis To Wings

about us

From Chrysalis to Wings was founded by Dr. Francine Zorehkey in November 2000. It is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide counseling, support to children and adults with malformation of the body caused by birth defects or disfiguration of the body due to illness or trauma. The organization prides itself in developing supportive and therapeutic solutions for those who experience psychological and emotional problems due to these issues. Services are offered at a low fee and if necessary, at no cost. Dr. Zorehkey, started the organization to help all populations who suffer with disfigurement. However, since the inception of A.W.O.L. (A Way of Life…after breast cancer) in 2003, a program specifically designed for women who have breast cancer, much of the organization time has been spent on the program because of high demand. A.W.O.L. offers retreats to help breast cancer survivors regain their femininity which may have been lost since diagnosis. She has volunteered and dedicated her time by taking on responsibilities such as organizing all aspects of the A.W.O.L. retreats. She has been involved in recruiting volunteers, grant writing, fundraising, patient relations, public relations, marketing, and anything that may relate to promote the program, always making sure that not only breast cancer survivors are treated with utmost kindness through A.W.O.L., but that volunteers get an outstanding experience through their services as well. She has served the community of Southern California since 2003 and because of the success of A.W.O.L., she is hoping to take her program nationally.
While all women suffer some anxiety about their breast cancer diagnosis and the often invasive treatment, one fourth of women will also suffer from depression in the first or second year following a mastectomy. Some will be able to work through these debilitating feelings, while others won’t. Dr. Zorehkey found that, in addition to this, many breast cancer patients often experience body image issues that sometimes are minimized by self, clinicians, family, and others in their support system due to the life threatening factor that may accompany breast cancer. She also found that dealing with these issues is essential to someone whose sense of self is highly based on how she looks on the outside. She realized that this may not be true of all breast cancer survivors but, due to cancer treatment, there can still be issues that are extremely sensitive due to changes occurring that one may need to adjust to.
Although all breast cancer survivors are welcomed to the A.W.O.L. program, Dr. Zorehkey has continuously concentrated in accessing underserved ethnic communities, uninsured or underinsured, and women under 40 who may have less access to such programs. At this time, funding allows for two retreats each year with the capacity to serve up to 45 women per retreat. The program’s success is so great that even as a “once in lifetime” opportunity to attend, excluding a re-occurrence of breast cancer diagnosis, a waiting list is always a factor.
Dr. Zorehkey has made the central purpose of A.W.O.L. to offer each breast cancer survivor the opportunity to cope with her illness and to improve her quality of life. Her retreats provide a safe place so that each woman can tap into her grief and loss as a result of breast cancer diagnosis, the treatment, the loss of a breast and the altered body image. The retreats also give a breast cancer survivor an opportunity to express gratitude for survival, and to remove any stigma of the disease. Read about our Board members.

Francine@Chrysalistowings.com