Lavender Hearts

Mary Hefner didn’t think she had anything to worry about. She recalls, “I felt something hard, like an underwire bra stuck to the inside of my skin. I hadn’t had a mammogram in over five years, but I felt fine.”Mary’s sister, who had cancer 26 years ago, gave her a stern talking to and convinced Mary to get the mammogram. The mammogram results revealed an abnormality, and she had a Computerized Tomography (CT) scan.

“They said I was stage two, which is much easier to handle than stage four. In stage two it hasn’t spread, but stage four means it has and chances of beating it are slimmer.” Mary explained.

After five treatments of chemotherapy, the tumor had decreased in size, and Mary had surgery to remove it. Mary remembers her time in chemotherapy as a bonding time. “I don’t know what I would have done without Carolyn, my chemo buddy. She was there to help me with anything I needed. She ordered me lunch, snacks, and got me drinks. She was also there for me when I wanted to talk, and I’m so thankful for her. Family can sometimes be stressful, and sometimes there are things you just don’t want to tell your family, but I felt I could tell my chemo buddy anything!”

Planting the seeds
Chemo Buddies developed out of love and a desperate need for the service. Jill Kincaid, who originally founded Chemo Buddies in Evansville and serves as director, tells her story. “It all began when my sister, Karen, was diagnosed with cancer and had to take chemotherapy. I remember sitting with her passing the time by shopping online, playing games, and taking care of business. It wasn’t dreadful; we continued with life. Often, Karen would look around at the other patients and point out the ones who looked cold. She’d tell me to go get them a blanket and I’d do it. Before long, we both started looking out for everyone, and I became Karen’s legs. We wondered what would happen when we were not there anymore. This got us really thinking, and we decided we would get volunteers to come help. From that moment on, we worked on the idea of Chemo Buddies.”

After Karen passed away, Jill fell into a deep depression until a pastor knocked on her door. He had stopped by to check on her and talk. During the conversation, He revealed that God wanted her to do something with the experience. Jill explained, “I got chills when he said this because I knew exactly what it was. I needed to start Chemo Buddies and make it a reality.”

Spreading the light
Jill did make Chemo Buddies a reality, and after only six months, Chemo Buddies was ready to start expanding their reach to other locations outside of Evansville. In May of 2016, Sarah Smith, Oncology Nurse Navigator with Methodist Hospital contacted Chemo Buddies and asked if they’d be willing to come to Henderson.

As an oncology navigator, Sarah is there for the patient every step of their way to recovery. Sarah explains how Chemo Buddies help, “Patients do get attached to their Chemo Buddies, and many form tight bonds. They are so good for the patients, but they are also great help to the staff. They offer us a lot of support and I don’t think they ever really realize how much emotional support they give us. They talk with us, they joke with us, and they raise our spirits. They lighten our load and brighten our day. They’re just some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. They come in and sit with the patients, talk with the patients and provide support.”

Serving others
All volunteers go through a Chemo Buddies interview and hiring process, and Mike Russ was one of the very first volunteers to sign up. He had just retired and was looking for a good place to volunteer his time and talents. Mike, because he was already in Henderson, became the leader for Chemo Buddies in Henderson, and he’s been with the organization for almost six years now.

Chemo Buddies volunteers are so dedicated and devoted to their patients that many of them schedule vacations around their shifts, because they love being there for the patients to help them forget about having cancer for just a moment. They try to listen and make them laugh every chance they get.

Jill Explains, “Everything with chemotherapy revolves around how many treatments are left to complete. Therefore, the first and last days of treatment are a very big deal.”

Mary recalls her first day of chemotherapy, “I was a little nervous about what was going to happen on my first day. I wondered if it was going to make me sick, and if it was going to work. I remember getting a couple of hats and blankets, but the best part about my first day was the gift bag with candy. If someone gives you candy, you’re going to remember them for life, especially if it’s chocolate. I believe God gave us chocolate to make us happy!”

Hoping for the future
Sarah concludes, “Cancer is horrible and it sucks, and it does not matter who you are, anyone can get it. Early detection is the key and there are so many new treatments and drug choices out there now. I truly believe we can beat this! In the meantime, everyone needs to understand how much Chemo Buddies do for chemotherapy patients, and how much time they dedicate. I truly cannot explain to you how awesome and passionate they are. Nobody should have to go through cancer alone. Some patients come in and have no family or friends who can take off work, so they’ll be in the infusion unit anywhere from six to 12 hours, and some are on chemotherapy for the rest of their lives. These people need Chemo Buddies.”

There is money in prevention and research, but not many grants are available for people with cancer. Mike explains further, “Chemo Buddies is a community and grass roots funded non-profit organization. We serve every cancer patient regardless of the type of cancer they may have, and because of this, we are sometimes overlooked by organizations that only fund certain types of cancer. Each type of cancer has its own color of support, but lavender is the color for all cancers and Chemo Buddies volunteers give their hearts to all with cancer.”

 

For more information about Chemo Buddies please visit Chemo Buddies Facebook page or www.chemobuddies.org. For more about cancer prevention, screening, treatment, or survivorship, please contact Sarah Smith at 270-827-7222 or email [email protected].