FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE) – When Sandy Bettencourt Keys was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019, she turned to the internet looking for support.

But what she found, and what she didn’t find, changed everything.

“I didn’t have any family or friends go through breast cancer, so I had really nobody to turn to,” she said.

She searched for local groups, browsed forums, and reviewed support pages. She came across a few out-of-state Facebook groups, but nothing that made her feel seen here in California.

So she built one herself.

What started as a small online community in 2020 has now grown into California Breast Cancer Support Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with more than 3,400 members statewide.

“I think I’m going to start a Facebook group so that I can help the ladies in California,” Sandy remembers saying to herself after going through treatment.

The group began with 24/7 support on a private Facebook page, a safe space for women to ask questions, vent about treatment side effects, or simply say, “I’m having a rough day.”

But the connections didn’t stay online.

Today, members across the state host in-person meetups, ride to each other’s chemo appointments, and even send care packages. Sandy herself makes road trips from her home in Modesto to connect with members in Fresno and beyond.

“Somebody you’ve seen on Zoom, online for two years, and then you actually can meet them and hug them… It was so great,” she said.

The group also offers weekly Zoom support calls, a traveling survivor banner, signed and shared by survivors; the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Boots,” pink cowboy boots worn to treatment; “Freebie Fridays,” where members donate unused items to others in need.

Unlike some support groups that require a drive or time set aside, Sandy is intentional about keeping things simple and accessible.

“Everybody has [Facebook] on their phone,” she said. “They don’t have to get dressed, go to a support group, like an in-person group. They can just scroll through Facebook and connect.”

Members say the group feels like family, and that’s exactly what Sandy hoped for.

Sandy still works full time as a paralegal, but says running the group has become her life’s mission.

“Cancer was a gift for me,” she said. “ A lot of people might beg to differ, but for me, that’s your chance to, you know, live life to the fullest… If  I can help one person every day, I’m happy.”

The nonprofit now sends business cards to cancer centers across California. When someone is newly diagnosed, they receive Sandy’s info and a direct link to the community, right when they need it most.

And just like her ideas on supporting women fighting breast cancer, her message to those who haven’t been touched by the disease is simple.

“Go get your mammogram,” she said. “Do your monthly self-checks. A lot of cancer, if you catch it early enough, it’s treatable.”

To join the group or support California Breast Cancer Support Inc., visit the private Facebook page here.

This story is part of KSEE24’s Buddy Check series, reminding Valley women to check in with their buddy and do their self-breast exam.