A Brooklyn Babe & the Miracle on 68th Street – by Cheryl Corin-Bonder

When faced with life-altering challenges, one is sure to grapple with a range of fear to rage, hopelessness to depression, and everything in between. You can either give in to the negatives, or in the case of Cheryl Corin-Bonder, you fight back. 

Cheryl Corin-Bonder is here to reflect on her own wild – and incredibly courageous – journey in her recently self-published book “A Brooklyn Babe & The Miracle on 68th Street”. Through her experiences, the ups and downs, and the roller coaster physical (and mental) ride she has endured – she offers reasons for hope to those experiencing unfathomable anguish.

In its prologue, Corin-Bonder, 66, reflects on what brought her to write “Brooklyn Babe” – “The search for why life seems to keep kicking me in the ass and the determination…and grit to kick it right back has been my story.”

Growing up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn in the 1960s, she recalls most of her family lived within blocks of her home. She said, “I miss the simplicity of those days. I have only the warmest memories of my childhood.”

Since then she’s lived in New Jersey, in Randolph for over 20 years, and where she also taught K-6, Rockaway, and Springfield. She currently lives in Verona. Among her degrees and certifications, Corin-Bonder graduated from Centenary College (now Centenary University) in Hackettstown from its Early Education Certification program. The reference to 68th Street in her book’s title is the address of the New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center, where, she says, “I have spent lots of time” and wasn’t the home away from home anybody wishes for.

For two decades, Corin-Bonder has dealt with love, loss, and a devastating diagnosis – a rare form of blood cancer. Ultimately, she tapped into a font of inner strength that has buoyed her through the bleakest of times.

She turned to writing, and noted, “These pages are filled with unimaginable fear and loss of self but also with hope, positivity, and joy that I lean on every day. Thankfully, these myriad blessings have gotten me through very dark days. I have an abundance of gratitude and love for my daughters, friends, family, and strangers who, by sheer luck, became the brace that kept me from falling into the abyss.”

Throughout the book she speaks of simple pleasures, such as enjoying a slice of pizza after several weeks of a strict diet. Corin-Bonder points to many folks who have helped her along the way, but she pays special homage to her daughters, Danielle and Kyle, who have always been there for her. 

Among Corin-Bonder’s many successes: school teacher, oncology outreach coordinator; certified health and wellness life coach; and founder of WAR – a program designed for women who are at high risk for developing breast and ovarian cancers. 

Now, she has published “A Brooklyn Babe & the Miracle on 68th Street,” full of inspiring stories, crushing challenges, and how to navigate those tough times (spoiler alert: hope, friendship and love play a big part).

The book can be purchased through Amazon.

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Cheryl’s Medical Timeline-

1992 – Prophylactic Bilateral Mastectomy.

2013 – Diagnosed with Sweets Syndrome (Autoimmune) & U-MPN (Unclassified Myeloproliferative Discorder), a rare from of Leukemia.

2013 – Discovered the Sweets was due to sun exposure from the antibiotic Levaquin that may have caused the migration of cells causing this disease.

2013 – Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant.

2018 – Transformed into Acute Myeloid Leukemia, eventually prompting use of experiemental drug (PU-H71) never used on anyone, anywhere, other than in a lab setting. This is referred to as Chery’ls Miracle Drug.