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NEW DAY FOR CANCER CARE PATIENTS
ACS opens Laurel Resource Center
DEC. 20, 2010
By David Owens, newseditor@laurelleadercall.com Laurel Leader-Call
LAUREL — The American Cancer Society has partnered with OncoLogics, Inc. to offer a Cancer Resource Center to patients and their families coping with the diseases.
The center is located at OncoLogics Laurel office, 127 South 13th Ave., and offers access to wigs and prostheses for cancer patients as well as information for them and their caregivers.
Paige McCardle, senior community representative for the American Cancer Society, said patients began receiving services from the Cancer Resource Center on Friday.
“The people that came through here... their faces were just lighting up,” she said. “OncoLogics is also excited about being able to offer these services to their patients. But, you don’t have to be receiving radiation from here. We also work with referrals.”
McCardle said those currently receiving chemotherapy, have received a breast biopsy or just want information for different kinds of treatment will have plenty to choose from through the Cancer Resource Center.
“We had one lady who receives her treatment in Hattiesburg, but she came through here for a prostheses,” McCardle said. “We have a number of trained volunteers working here, including some cancer survivors who just wanted to give back.
“I think it’s great that OncoLogics has given us a space in their facility,” she added. “They’ve worked with us with open arms. This is really just Relay all coming back into our community.”
McCardle said the Cancer Resource Center offers everything that was available at the Hattiesburg ACS office, but adds a resource library and Internet access for patients and caregivers to resource their cancer and/or treatment.
Dr. Cameron Pimperl of OncoLogics said the Cancer Resource Center will mean a lot to patients going through treatment.
“Our staff will be offering additional support,” he said. “This will be offering services in a more centralized location. It makes it easier for them to get to.”
He said the center will be “extremely important for the benefit of cancer patients.”
Freddie Harrison, a volunteer and online Relay chairman for Jones and Smith counties, said the center will be “one of the best assets to the community and the whole entire Pine Belt.”
“I think it will increase the numbers of people receiving services just phenomenally,” he said. “We had one woman who came in who was having such a hard time finding a wig. She came in and found a wig and got information about Look Good Feel Better. She left with a smile on her way to a Christmas party.”
That patient, Shari Parish, said she was “real excited” about trying on her Raquel Welch wig.
“It’s really hard to look for a wig in a magazine or on the Web,” said Parish, whose husband is currently serving with the 185th in Afghanistan. “I wondered if I was ever going to be able to find a good color or if it would even be able to fit. I’m real impressed. I came in with a frown and am leaving with a smile.”
Harrison said the center will also impact volunteers in a big way.
“It will show us how the money we raise for ACS is used,” he said.
LaDonna Breland, office coordinator, and Kelley McKee, radiation therapist, also offered their excitement about the center.
“I feel very blessed by it,” Breland said. “We’ll be able to offer a lot more resources to our patients.”
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ONCONEWS
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