Thank you, Sarah Barness, for sharing this incredibly important and deeply personal story with The Cut (subscription required). The experience of “cancer ghosts” is one that too many in our cancer community, Red Door Community, know all too well — the painful realization that illness can shift not just our bodies, but our relationships.
The emotional toll of cancer does not end with treatment — it reverberates through friendships, family dynamics, and the quiet spaces where support should have been.
It is not your fault. People often step back out of fear, discomfort, or uncertainty — but that doesn’t make the loss any less real. You deserved to be held, not abandoned.
At Red Door Community, we believe no one should face cancer alone. If you have experienced this kind of isolation, we invite you to connect with others who understand through our program, which offers support groups, individual counseling, educational workshops and lectures, and social activities. You are not alone, and your experience is valid.
At our Lifting Spirits event held at The Prince George Ballroom on June 4, 2025, we moderated a panel discussion with RDC members who provided insight and deeper understanding into what it means to live with, care for, and grieve the loss of a loved one to cancer. Each experience was unique, yet they all referenced cancer ghosting.
Let us keep talking about this — not just to raise awareness, but to shift the culture around how we show up for each other in challenging times.
Blog Post by Migdalia Torres, Executive Director, Program at RDC
Photo: Yana Iskayeva/Getty Images
What blog posts would you like to see?
We’d love for you to be a part of this. Send us your questions, your stories, and your ideas. Help us shape the conversations that matter most to you. Let’s stay connected. Let’s grow this community—together.
