BY: Tana Suggs
Going through a difficult situation, no matter what the plight, can leave one feeling helpless and lonely, especially when it comes to one’s health. But when there’s someone to talk with, such as a survivor, who has already faced the illness head on and knows some of the things a patient is going through, it can help that patient while in the throes of the illness and treatment not to feel so alone, to inspire them, and perhaps even more importantly, to give them hope.
Northside Hospital developed a program that does just that. It’s called “Network of Hope,” and it’s a part of the organization’s overall approach to cancer care, offering patients and their family members a level of support many may not have readily available to them. The program connects patients with specially trained survivor volunteers that are similar in age, type of cancer, treatment recommendation or family situation. The volunteers are survivors who have completed treatment at Northside, interviewed with the staff, and completed an orientation. In addition, volunteers have an open heart, strong listening skills, and a willingness to give back.
Geraldine (Gerrie) McMahan, a Suwanee resident and Breast Cancer survivor, is one of those special volunteers. In 2000, McMahan found a small lump in her breast, almost under her arm. After visiting her physician, a biopsy revealed it was Breast Cancer, and a very aggressive one. Her treatment included surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Once she finished treatment and was in remission, she joined the “Network of Hope” in 2001.
McMahan said it was after a premonition she had of her late mother telling her, “Out of everything bad comes something good,” McMahan said she knew then that she had to find something to do to help other people, and she signed up as a volunteer with the program. McMahan said she generally visits with patients while they are still in the hospital after surgery, but she recalled an exception where she visited a patient as she was being prepped for surgery. A doctor, who knew McMahan happened to be at the hospital that day, asked if she could take a few minutes to visit a patient that was very upset. McMahan explained that when she got to the room, there was the patient and two men; her husband and a friend, and they were all crying. McMahan said she went into the room, introduced herself, and told them she was (at that time) a nine year survivor. She said when they saw her, their tears turned into smiles.
“That is very rewarding to me,” McMahan said. “I’m sure it helped them too because in the back of their minds they had that Breast Cancer was a death sentence, and when they saw a survivor, it completely changed their outlook.”
During their conversation she found out the two men had recently participated in a motorcycle ride specifically to raise money for Breast Cancer research. McMahan said the husband told her, little did they know about a month after that his own wife would be diagnosed with the disease.
In addition to meeting with patients, McMahan said she also hands out brochures to help patients get a better understanding of the illness and treatment, and she said that makes her feel like she is helping them.
And there are three important things McMahan said she always tells patients to remember as they’re fighting the disease:
“keep a good attitude, keep a strong faith and have confidence in your medical staff.” “That’s just my feeling,” she said. “It’s what helped me.”
McMahan, who has been in remission going on 13 years now, said she usually visits with patients once a month. “I do really get a blessing when I visit with Breast Cancer patients,” she said, adding that being a Breast Cancer survivor herself, she just feels blessed.
■ For more information about the “Network of Hope,” visit Northside.com.
