It’s hard not to think of Joy to Life without thinking about the two individuals who founded the organization—Joy and Dickie Blondheim. It’s also hard to think of one of them without the other. That’s not surprising since they have been together since they were 12 or 13-year-old teenagers.

Joy and Dickie met though events their individual families attended in the Columbus, Georgia area. Dickie’s family lived in Columbus, while Joy and her family resided in Montgomery. After sensing a connection, the two would write letters to each other over the next several years to keep in touch. After high school graduation, they found themselves attending the same college. After only two years, they decided to get married. Dickie would go on to finish pharmacy school afterwards.

Many changes would follow. Dickie was drafted and the pair was sent to live in Oklahoma where Dickie served in the Public Health Service. As the years passed, Joy and Dickie welcomed two sons, Brad and Hilly, and the family eventually settled in Montgomery.

Then in 1997, something happened that would change their lives forever. Joy would receive a diagnosis of stage II breast cancer. She had a bilateral mastectomy and reconstructive surgery followed by eight months of chemotherapy.  It was the most difficult time of their lives. Joy and Dickie decided to do something to put a positive spin on what had been a not-so-positive experience. With that, the Joy to Life Foundation was formed in 2001.

The Foundation works in partnership with the Department of Public Health's Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (ADPH). While the partnership with ADPH has been instrumental in helping countless women throughout Alabama, Joy and Dickie realized that there are those who do not meet the criteria for assistance through ADPH and, in recent years, the pair have witnessed an increase in younger women and men dealing with breast cancer.

“We are working to make breast cancer screenings and mammograms available to everyone who has a desperate need and cannot afford it,” says Joy. “We are thankful that ADPH is providing for the 40 – 49 age group and we are working with doctors, hospitals and organizations throughout Alabama to provide funding for screenings for those under 40. Helping to increase the number of breast cancer survivors each year is very important to us.”

Now, 20 years later, Joy is doing well and as anyone who has been through a life threatening illness knows, every day is a gift and a blessing. For Joy and Dickie each day reminds them to take nothing for granted.