Coronado resident Shelly Tinney-Miller recalls being overcome by weeks of shock, loneliness and fear when she got her breast cancer diagnosis in 2010.
It took her husband’s constant motivation to encourage her to pick herself up, get to appointments and stay positive.
“But a lot of people don’t have that, they don’t have someone telling them, ‘You’re gonna get through this, you’re gonna be fine,’” said Tinney-Miller, who has since embarked on a journey born from what she calls “a blessing in disguise.”
Tinney-Miller, her sister Katy Tinney-Olson and friend Kerry Solmonsen – all three cancer survivors – co-founded a nonprofit known as Cancer Cartel in 2019 to provide financial support for individuals going through cancer treatments.
What started as a clothing resale venture on eBay – to generate funds for cancer patients – has expanded to include nation-wide fundraising events, partnerships with local businesses and a junior ambassador program.
And over the last five years, people from dozens of states have benefited.
A four-minute video on their website captures some of those individuals in hospital beds or at home. Their faces crumple, overcome by emotion as three women on the other side of a Zoom screen vow their financial support.
“It’s not just the money,” said Tinney-Miller. “A lot of the time it is just seeing three survivors talking to them about how they made it through and how the other side is better and how you can keep on fighting. And seeing them come back and thank you for that – and just seeing the difference you make – is amazing.”
Financial and emotional support
Solmonsen battled skin, thyroid, and breast cancer. Tinney-Olson also had skin cancer, as well as non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Both based in Washington State, they had the idea of using their love for fashion to begin Cancer Cartel and invited Tinney-Miller.
Fast forward to today, the trio meets over Zoom on a regular basis and review dozens of grant applications.
Tinney-Olson said they accept about a hundred applications through an online grant portal that is only open a few minutes each month.
To avoid receiving fraudulent applications, they only accept submissions from case managers or social workers directly employed by hospitals or cancer treatment centers, according to their website.
“We speak to cancer warriors who are literally making choices between feeding their kids and getting the life-saving chemo treatment that they need. And no one should have to make that choice,” said Solmonsen.
Solmonsen said Cancer Cartel does not tell recipients what they can or cannot spend the money on.
“They know what they need, they know where this money is going to best serve them and their family,” she added.
All of the money they raise goes to the so-called “cancer warriors” as direct grants. Last year the organization helped 691 patients following a doubling of the $150,000 in revenue it made in 2023.
This year, the three women anticipate reaching their goal of giving away $1 million dollars since the organization’s inception.
“Looking back, I’m like, ‘Thank goodness I went through it’ because I can just see how precious life is now, how much more I have to give to others and how good it feels to give,” said Tinney-Miller.
Cancer Cartel is hosting “Fashion Funds the Fight,” a high-end resale shopping event on Feb. 20.
To learn more about Cancer Cartel, visit http://www.cancercartel.org/.
