It would be so nice if Suzanne Penny's story could have been tied up in A Pink Ribbon.

That's the name of the boutique for cancer patients that Penny opened in Carlsbad in December 2006 after completing treatment for breast cancer.

Her desire was to create a place where women with cancer could find whatever they might need, be it a wig, fitting for a prosthesis, a "Cancer Sucks" T-shirt or simply a hug and a sympathetic shoulder.

For a year, it was just that -- "a welcome haven to many women who were going through what Suzanne had already defeated." That's how Andrea Oliver described the boutique in a letter she is sending to Ellen DeGeneres and other talk show hosts asking for help for her good friend.

Oliver isn't alone in jumping in to assist Penny, diagnosed in January with an aggressive leukemia. She was forced to close the store to begin intensive chemotherapy treatments. While in remission now, she will ultimately require a bone-marrow or stem-cell transplant, if a suitable donor can be found.

When the news got out, phones began to ring and e-mails began to fly among Penny's circle of friends and customers. What could they do to help? The list was considerable. The chemotherapy kept Penny hospitalized for a month, eliminating her income and requiring her 14-year-old daughter, Rachel, to move in with Penny's ex-husband and change schools.

"I lost my daughter, my store and my health all in the same month," said Penny, who had poured most of her financial resources into opening the boutique.

That's what friends are for, answered Oliver and a core group of about 10 calling themselves Suzanne's Committee of Friends. The group has created a Web site, www.helpsuzanne.org, organized blood and bone marrow drives, fundraisers and silent auctions, reached out to media and helped with insurance and other personal matters.

"Aren't they amazing? I don't know what I would do without them," said Penny, who when strong enough, continues to serve customers over the Internet. "Everything seemed helpless and my friends said, 'You worry about your health, we'll do everything else.' "

Next up for the group is a Wine Tasting for Charity, at 1 p.m. April 6 at Georges at the Cove in La Jolla. Admission costs $25. Call Oliver at (760) 525-0011.

Other events are in the works. It will be a long, tough haul for Penny, who has always geared her life to helping others. But she won't be alone. And that, by itself, can make the ride a lot smoother.

Contact staff columnist Jeff Frank at (760) 740-5419 or jfrank@nctimes.com.