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Breast Care
March 7, 2008 |
The folks at Lee Cancer Care are always looking innovative ways
to help treat cancer patients in Southwest Florida. Sharon MacDonald is the Vice
President of Cancer Services with Lee Memorial Health System. She says her job
has also become a personal mission. “I lost my father at 69 to cancer. I lost my
mother at 84 to cancer. I lost my sister last year at 57 to cancer and it has
been just a mission for me to help people get through the barriers and the
obstacles.” One big obstacle for patients is finances. After being diagnosed
with cancer some patients then have to try and find a way to pay for the proper
treatment. Dara Leichter is a Registered Nurse and Breast Health Navigator with
the LMHS Breast Care Center. She works with those kinds of patients every day.
“Because of the financial climate in our communities there are women out there
that are making decisions that are making choices about whether or not to get
treatment or put food on the table, they shouldn’t have to.” But now many women
will not have to make that difficult decision thanks to some important grant
money from organizations like the Susan G. Comen Foundation, BELK, and the Pine
Island Group. “It’s just amazing to see what that does for this woman you know
now she can start looking at that there may be hope that she may beat this
disease,” Dara says. The grant dollars are used to help underinsured or
uninsured women with everything from the cost of chemotherapy and medication to
child care and transportation. “They have no money and no resources and they
come into my office and after we go through everything and I’m able to look at
them and say you know we’re going to help you and we’re not going to ask you for
a dime we’re going to take care of this and you truly just see a weight life of
their shoulders,” Dara says. Women do have to meet specific criteria in order to
participate in the grant funded programs. Soon you can help raise money for
programs like this. Sign up to participate in the Susan G.Comen Race for the
Cure or the Pine Island Breast Fest both being held on March 15th. |
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