Christine Guarino loves being welcomed into your home. As a board-certified mastectomy fitter, her personal mission is to offer women the opportunity to feel good about their bodies again. In 2016, after a career as a dental hygienist, she founded a non-profit organization, World of Pink Foundation, dedicated to helping women who have undergone all phases of breast surgery - including mastectomies, lumpectomies, reduction, and augmentation. But Guarino offers more than just products and financial support - she is also a compassionate cheerleader. Her one-on-one telehealth visits are an opportunity to help breast cancer survivors regain their confidence and recognize their unique beauty, both inside and out.
Bringing Comfort Home Through Telehealth Fittings
To put her clients at ease, she eschews the front door for the phone, conducting telehealth visits that allow women to be in the comfort of their homes without the distraction of an office and the need to find a parking spot or be around other people.
“Telehealth has softened the burden on patients in so many ways,” Guarino says on a Facetime call. Wearing a soft yellow shirt that matches her shiny blonde hair, she exudes picture-perfect positivity. Her kind and confident demeanor inspires trust, which is especially important when she asks you to remove your shirt. “The last thing a breast cancer survivor needs is more stress, so my goal is to take away the [stigma of the] diagnosis from daily life by making her feel good, look beautiful, and not be defined by the size and shape of her breasts,” Guarino says. With an armload of educational and professional training behind her, Guarino offers the kind of service that makes survivors feel safe. “We are an integral part of the healthcare system to provide for what comes after.”
Navigating the Aftercare Journey
Most breast cancer patients and survivors will agree that once they are diagnosed, it is an overwhelming whirlwind of procedures and ongoing conversations with surgeons and oncologists. But what happens when the treatments are done and the doctors are on to the next patient? Survivors often feel lost in a sea of confusion – the now what? Guarino provides that compassionate aftercare and is committed to bringing a sense of wholeness and self-love back into the lives of survivors, striving to be a holistic partner to clinical healing. World of Pink Foundation teams up with the American Cancer Society and also supports many other Long Island non-profit organizations, including many coalitions across Long Island and Florida.
Redefining the Fitting Experience
In a typical telehealth session, done from one’s own home, all that is needed is a cellphone or internet connection and a flexible tape measure. Guarino guides her clients seamlessly through the appointment, with their comfort and sense of ease as her main priority. She clearly explains how and where to measure and is patient, encouraging, and understanding. “We provide all of the paperwork to submit to insurance companies,” Guarino states. “Through World of Pink, women can get high-quality products and top-notch service; everything is exchangeable, and no one has to leave their homes.” In addition to fittings, World of Pink Foundation provides those who are uninsured with bras, prostheses, and lymphedema sleeves at no charge and additionally organizes star-studded fundraising fashion shows featuring survivors who are dressed to the nines and pampered with hair and makeup sessions. The organization also sends healing packages to patients and free events to survivors, all to “celebrate these women and make their journey a little bit easier.”
Instilling Confidence Beyond Cancer
“So many women have this idea of perfection, and there is a lot of ‘stuff’ that comes with that,” says Guarino, who is a former teen model. “I understand – I was always judged on my looks. But just because you’ve had surgery doesn’t mean you need to change your style or feel limited to a certain fashion. We help women heal their insecurities about their body image and remind them of the soul and vibe of who they are.”
“There is something magnificent about all of us,” she continues. “I want to help women to stop worrying about what they look like - cancer cannot take their beauty away from them. We can help women get to the most beautiful parts of who they are and break through the parts that might hold them back.”
Impacting Women Everywhere
Survivors continuously say that it’s the support that gets them through their experience with breast cancer. Christine Guarino and World of Pink Foundation are dedicated to empowering women around the world through their cancer wellness journeys with compassionate aftercare. By offering telehealth visits, comprehensive care, and a focus on inner beauty, Guarino aims to redefine the after-experience of breast cancer survivors and help them embrace their confidence beyond their disease. Through her dedication, inspiration, and empathetic approach, Guarino continues to make a significant impact in the lives of women, helping them feel beautiful once again. A frontrunner in aftercare, she’s the one who’s got your back, stating, “There’s no greater feeling than when you can make another woman feel good about herself.”
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