Mattress giveaway for breast cancer patients and survivors coming to our area

The United Breast Cancer Foundation has brought free mattresses to cities across the country for years. Now, for the first time, they're coming to our area with 364 new mattresses to give away.

The United Breast Cancer Foundation partners with Tempur-Sealy and Good360 to provide free mattresses to anyone who has or has had breast cancer. You are still eligible if you are currently in remission.

Lauren Brohm of the United Breast Cancer Foundation explained, "We actually always hear about women who are sleeping on the couch. They are sleeping on a pullout, and we're so happy to be able to give them the gift of sleep."

It's a gift Marianne Sarcich of Wilmington received last fall in Maryland. She heard about the event through a local breast cancer support group she started on Facebook called 'In This Together Philly/Wilmington'.

Sarchich drove down to Maryland for her free mattress, vowing to get the foundation to come here. And now it will on June 15 in Hatboro.

Sarcich told Action News, "When you're going through something like breast cancer recovery, a mattress becomes medicinal. You need your sleep. It almost becomes like a medical device."

She added, "You can't afford a new mattress if you don't have a good one when you're dealing with breast cancer because of the bills. They get really high."

Lois Dougherty of Wilmington will be at the giveaway, explaining she's up and down all night with her old mattress.

Dougherty exclaimed, "It's lumpy and bumpy. It's just very old!"

Dougherty has stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.

"There's no cure for what I have. I'll have this the rest of my life. My oncologist is just prolonging my life. So if I have an opportunity like this, you better believe I'm going to grab it," Dougherty said.

You do need to register for the event beforehand and will need to provide documentation with your application to demonstrate you have or have had breast cancer. When your application is accepted, you receive the exact location and time slot for pick-up.

Sarcich told Action News, "Breast cancer diagnoses can be so isolating and disconnecting, and when you have something like this come together, the feeling of support truly just lifts you."

Dougherty said, "I just can't wait to lay on it. I just can't wait to get a full night sleep."

For more information about the application, due June 10, or to learn how to volunteer at the giveaway, you can go to their website.