Silence Won’t Finish This Fight
By Sen. Roz Baker, chairwoman, American Cancer Society Hawaii Pacific board of directors
When Jack was diagnosed with cancer, he wanted to know everything: treatment options, what type of drugs he would be taking, whether his hair would fall out. He called the American Cancer Society, and they answered all his questions.
For Sharon, chemotherapy left her with no hair, no eyelashes and no eyebrows. “When you have cancer, you don’t want to be reminded that you’re sick,” she says. American Cancer Society’s Look Good … Feel Better sessions help cancer patients manage appearance-related side effects.
“I will never be able to repay the American Cancer Society for everything they did for me,” says Daveline, a thyroid cancer survivor from Hawaii Island. “When I had to go to Honolulu for tests, the American Cancer Society was there to help. Every time I needed someone to talk to, they were there with an ear … and a shoulder.”
As the official sponsor of birthdays, American Cancer Society saves lives by helping people stay well, and get well, by finding cures and by fighting back. Every day, cancer patients in Hawaii reach out to the American Cancer Society for help.
With offices on Kauai, Oahu, Maui and Hawaii Island, the American Cancer Society provided 12,383 free services last year to cancer patients: 1,608 patients received assistance getting to treatment
-airline tickets, Road to Recovery rides, taxi reimbursements and gas cards; 147 patients received assistance with guest rooms; 345 patients received support through programs such as I Can Cope, Look Good … Feel Better, and Reach to Recovery; 281 patients were provided with wigs, hats and prostheses; and 1,172 patients were provided with personal health kits. In addition, 2,624 newly diagnosed cancer patients in Hawaii were touched by the American Cancer Society last year.
Last month, the American Cancer Society turned 100 – 100 years of saving lives, of helping people stay well, of helping people get well, of finding cures and fighting back.
If you or a loved one has been touched by cancer, or if you want to volunteer for the American Cancer Society, call anytime, day or night, 1-800-227-2345 or go to cancer.org. Relay For Life is the premier fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. To participate, call 1-800-227-2345 or go to RelayForLife.org.
Hawaii charitable organizations may send requests for space in either Proof Positive or the free advertisement below to dchapman@midweek.com.
