When Pam Gruber was diagnosed with breast cancer, she turned to friends, family and prayer for support.

But what about those people who are diagnosed and alone, she wondered? They could use someone to talk to, pray with and be concerned about them, too.

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"This area is so transitional. For some who have moved here just a couple years ago, it can be traumatic to have that diagnosis and no one to talk to."

A friend who was diagnosed a year later felt the same way.

"She said, have you ever thought of doing a support group. I said, yes, but I wanted to be far enough removed from it in order to help."

So, after both were cancer free, a support group was begun. The H.O.P.E. group, which means Helping Other People Endure, began in September at Gruber's church, Faith Lutheran in Troy.

Gruber leads the faith-based breast cancer support group, which offers offers spiritual and emotional care. It meets at 7-8:30 p.m. the first and third Thursdays of the month. The next meeting is Nov. 2.

Gruber, 46, a Troy resident, said she was diagnosed two years ago after a routine mammogram.

"I was fortunate. It was caught early," said Gruber. She had a lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation, treatment that took about six months.

Her friend had a double mastectomy and "She's doing great."

A guiding element Gruber wanted the group to offer was prayer.

"We're both very active in the church. We thought that there are lots of support groups in hospitals and those kinds of things, we wanted something that would offer more hope."

In looking around for a format, she come across a recently published book, Praying through Cancer, by Beverly Hills resident Laura Geist.

The 90-day devotional has stories by women who tell how their faith helped them during their illness. Each is accompanied by a prayer and Biblical prayer references.

"I sat down and read it straight through," she said.

Now the book is part of each meeting. "We open with prayer, then a devotional from the book."

"A big part of the time is spent sharing," she said of the other element of the meeting.

"We ask, what kind of prayer concerns have you had? What can I do to help you?"

They chose to hold the meeting twice a month, because "if it falls on chemo week, you aren't going to feel like coming."

Nevertheless, "If you miss two weeks, you are not going to be behind."

Geist said she is thrilled that the book is being used by the support group.

"We as women can look to God and other women for encouragement and this just enhances what the book is about," she said.

Gruber said her husband, John, and two teenage sons are very supportive.

But it still helps her to talk to other women in the group about concerns, she said.

"I just recently had a mammogram," she said.

"It's nice for someone to look at me and say I'm going to pray for you. There's a whole group of people who are in your corner even after you are through."

Gruber said they would like more people to attend. People don't need to call in advance, they may just come in, she said.