Volunteers

Healing Partners :
One of the first questions we asked in the years of planning before opening our first breast care center in 1988 was "how could we make the journey for diagnosis of breast cancer through completion of treatment and beyond easier?" The doctors met with a group of our breast cancer survivors back in 1987, and asked them this question. The patient's over-whelming response was to have a knowledgeable survivor present at the time of the initial discussion of the breast cancer diagnosis. Their reasoning was two-fold: first the presence of a survivor was inspirational: i.e. it was a non-verbal message to the patient that: "if they could make it so could I". Second: a woman's mind is usually in state of over-load at the time of the initial diagnosis, and the patient is not mentally prepared to process the complex information provided by their physicians. More often however, they are prepared to talk to someone who has been through a similar experience.

When we opened our center in 1988 we had a handful of dedicated volunteers that were available to help with the newly diagnosed patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It became immediately clear to the patients, the volunteers, and the physicians that this was a very valuable program. There was almost always an immediate bond between the patients and the volunteers.

The leader of our patient representatives' team is Ginny Pepin who is a 20+ years survivor, and has been with us since the day we opened the center. She, together with her team of volunteers provides hope and inspiration to our patients and are available to help day or night. Our patient representative and our phone volunteers are trained and informed and are required to attend regularly scheduled medical updates and training. Ginny oversees that on-going training together with Barbara Scott. She has recruited a team of 15 patient representatives so that the center can be staffed with at least two in-house volunteers daily.

One of the initial challenges facing us when we started the volunteer program was that there was often a mismatch between the patient and the volunteer in terms of age or the clinical situation. For example, a young patient might be matched to an older patient representative. Although this match was very helpful in terms of immediate support, the younger patient typically experienced additional benefits from talking to a patient that was more her own age. Also, we have found it helpful to match a patient with a volunteer that has had a similar clinical situation, i.e. if the patient is anticipating chemotherapy or reconstructive surgery, it is helpful if the volunteer has had a similar experience

The challenge of matching a patient with a volunteer with important issues in common has been solved by creating a system of phone volunteers. This program offers a wide choice of volunteers with a diverse background in terms of age, clinical aspects of their breast cancer, and type of treatment received. We have approximately 50 phone volunteers. It is largely through the leadership of Ginny Pepin that the ideal match is made.

Our volunteers also serve as a friendly face and support for patients undergoing chemotherapy. They make sure the patients have what they need for their comfort. But most importantly, their presence provides our patients with a source of inspiration. The patients know that these volunteers have been there before, and understand what the patient is going through. The volunteer also serves as a symbol of hope because the patients instinctively know that if the volunteer can make, so can I.

Husbands support group :
One of a woman's most important sources of support is her husband, but husbands are often not emotionally prepared to handle the challenge. We have found that although husbands are anxious to provide the needed emotional support, they often feel a lack of confidence and in some cases frustration in their attempts to be a supportive partner. It was for this reason that husband's support group was formed. We now have a group of six trained male volunteers, lead by Ron Pepin who meets with husbands on a regular basis and also serve as a phone volunteer. This program has proven to be extremely successful.

Kids support :
A "Kids Konnected" support group meets at the Center for Wellness on a regular basis. When a parent is diagnosed with cancer the entire family is affected and the needs of the children must be addressed. This group, headed by a youth leader and co-facilitated by a licensed professional gives kids an opportunity to share and discuss their experiences, fears, and questions in a safe and nurturing environment.

For more information on Kids Konnected refer to :

www.kidskonnected.org.

Partners in Recovery :
Barbara Scott is a 20 year survivor. She was initially diagnosed at age 34. Two years latter she was found to have metastasis to her lungs and was given 6 months to live (our treatments were no where near as effective back then). Fortunately, Barbara proved the experts to be wrong. Now, in addition to her role as a school teacher, she leads our Partner's in Recovery Support Program for our newly diagnosed breast cancer patients.

This program meets once a week for six weeks and all of our newly diagnosed breast cancer patients are encouraged to attend. Barbara, who has subsequently received her Master's degree in Education, is the leader of our Partner's in Recovery program. The primary focus is on emotional support, and because of the common experience that these women share there is incredible bonding that takes place and often last far into the future. Many of our patients have stated that this was the most important source of support that they received during the entire course of therapy. The program also has direct physician input, and in addition to emotional support the program helps women better understand their individual diagnosis.

Wellness Retreats :
Designed as a three-day respite for individuals to share, to learn and to strengthen their connection between the spiritual, social and physical nature of their illness. For more information about upcoming retreats link to: wellness center…programs…retreats