CompuServe, Prodigy and the Microsoft Network also offer scores of groups. On the World Wide Web and on newsgroups, health-related sites abound in support groups and advice forums. Diagnosed with breast cancer in September and told that she might last only six months, Burge vowed to live on her own terms. Burge stepped into the world of online support gingerly, refusing even to give out her e-mail address because of safety concerns. Now, she hands out her telephone number.
Burge is an example of the powerful friendships that can be forged online.
The willingness of online compatriots to eventually lift their fingers from the keyboard and shake hands in person doesn't surprise Stiglitz. More than a few tears fell when Frisius, D'Andria and the quilt arrived at the suburban Conyers home of Burge's sister Gail Hair. Frantic herself after Burge's cancer diagnosis, Hair prowled the Internet to find a support group to help both her sister and herself. The group has grown from four to more than 40 since January and meets several times a week, including Sunday nights at 8. Some regular participants, such as Hair, are family members anxious to learn what they can do for their loved one.