Visitors to Sedona come in different shapes and sizes from all over, and during the week of June 3 to June 9, some of those visitors were breast cancer patients and their families — dressed in pink from head to toe. The group was visiting with breast cancer nonprofit Little Pink Houses of Hope.

Founder Jeanine Patten-Coble, a breast cancer survivor herself, established Little Pink Houses of Hope in 2010. When creating Little Pink, Patten-Coble said her mission was to offer something that other cancer facilities and retreats somewhat lacked — a family oriented mission statement with services to match.

“We are really unique in that we care for the entire breast cancer family,” she said. “As a breast cancer patient, there are services designed for us … but very rarely is it for more than just the patient.”

Early in her diagnosis, Patten-Coble realized that when one person is diagnosed the whole family is diagnosed, so the entire family needs continuous attention throughout their family member’s treatment. So, in 2011 Little Pink hosted its first retreat, and is now in its eighth year of operation.

Little Pink considers a number of factors to make the retreat stress-free and enjoyable. It takes care of organizing dinners, activities and housing arrangements.

“We want everything to be accessible for every person in the family whether they are 5 or 85,” she said. “To get out there and go kayaking or to do a really great hike is something that kind of has gone to the wayside because they are so busy at home with treatments and schedules and appointments.”

On each retreat, Little Pink brings 11 families to a specific location. Sedona is one among 18 of its 2018 retreats. This year’s visit to Sedona was its first, and Little Pink already has its 2019 Sedona retreat scheduled for June 1 through 8.

Throughout its Sedona retreat, the group experienced the wholesomeness Patten-Coble said Sedona is known for. That generosity was felt by retreat member Karen Reeves of St. Louis, Mo. Reeves has Stage IV breast cancer.

“My family and I enjoyed every adventure on our Little Pink retreat. We arrived as strangers and bonded, laughed, loved and connected with all of the other families attending,” Reeves said. “What a blessing to create forever memories.”

Making the trip possible were partnerships with local businesses, restaurants and community organizations. One in particular was Foothills Property Management, who found homeowners in the area who were willing to donate their vacation rentals to families for the week.

Some other helping hands included, but were not limited to, Sedona United Methodist Church, which hosted Little Pink’s dinner the first night of the retreat; Clarkdale Kayak Company, which hosted a kayak trip; and Arrow Stage Lines, which provided the group a charter bus to visit the Grand Canyon on June 7.

To squeeze a little romance into the retreat, Heartline Cafe hosted the couples for a date night while their kids went to the Sedona Arts Center and did pottery with Dennis Ott, the head of the ceramics department at SAC.

“The special date night for the couples, that really allows them to just get back to the core of their love because cancer changes everything,” Patten-Coble said.

Choosing a highlight of the week was something Patten-Coble had to mull over, and instead of choosing just one, she chose two.

“The Grand Canyon was one of them because, out of our group of 48 people, only one person had seen the Grand Canyon,” she said. “Kayaking in Clarkdale, that was unbelievably empowering — we had our 72-year-old participant who did it. It was challenging, and we had people tip over, but I mean cancer is a thing that tips your life upside down and you have to figure out how to get back on the river and keep paddling forward.”

To qualify for Little Pink’s 2019 Sedona retreat and others, there are several stipulations. Retreats are for breast cancer patients, both men and women, and their families, and they can only go once. Little Pink prioritizes anyone currently in treatment.

Little Pink has anywhere from 3,000 applications for 180 spots, and it currently only has 18 retreat weeks. However, over the course of the next four years, Little Pink will be adding four retreats a year; Patten-Coble said Little Pink plans to become available to uterine and ovarian cancer patients in the next five years.

Wrapping up their trip in Sedona was bittersweet, but knowing that they will return next year makes all the difference.

“It’s been the best of the best of Sedona,” Patten-Coble said.

Makenna Lepowsky can be reached at 282-7795 ext. 126, or email mlepowsky@larsonnewspapers.com