W E K E E P I T L O C A L
The diagnosis is just the
beginning of a very long journey
for many cancer patients. Our
goal is to save lives and stay
involved, helping and supporting
patients through their journey,
giving families hope and keeping
them focused on healing.
Many of our days begin by answering
a frantic cry for help. You know the
type of call, from somebody whose bad
news is fresh and the worry is raw. These
are desperate conversations that begin,
“I’ve found a lump in my breast! Where can
I get a mammogram as soon as possible?”
The callers – often people of little
means, young single mothers with
children, people who seemed perfectly
healthy yesterday – have found us and
need informed answers right away. Just as
important, they need the compassionate ear
of somebody who understands. They need
Careity.
With each call, we join another journey
as confidant, encourager, guide and source
of hands-on assistance. They don’t yet
know that they need a different kind of
mammogram than the routine screening,
a diagnostic type that requires a doctor’s
orders. “Doctor’s orders? No, we don’t have
that!” they say. “And we can’t afford a doctor
anyway. Can you still help us?”
In those cases we move to the next
step. We gather details and initiate a
process with our trusted network of
physicians that leads to an appointment,
usually within 24 hours. By day’s end,
another frantic cry for help has turned in
to words of encouragement and a path
forward. Another urgent “Help me” has
become a hope-filled “Thank you.”
Some patients require a biopsy
– another step, another cry for help.
Unfortunately, some biopsies lead to a
cancer diagnosis. Even then, Careity stays
involved. Our social workers help them
through the maze of uncertainty and guide
them in filling out paperwork for emergency
assistance. When cases are aggressive
there is no time to waste; we streamline the
process for those whose lives are in peril.
Each caller is different and special,
but the heartbreak can also be familiar.
Families in crisis, single parents, dedicated
spouses who can no longer handle the
numbing demands of the journey. People
overwhelmed by the options, making
the journey alone, mostly without any
insurance. No wonder depression and
anxiety are constant companions.
Careity is hands-on direct patient care,
with a reach made possible daily by our
clinical staff and our network of physicians
at The Center for Cancer and Blood
Disorders along with Dr. Amy Gunter and
Solis Mammography.
CAREITY BEGINS
AT HOME
Beverly Branch
Co-Founder
Careity social workers are available to
help patients with the support that they
need to push through each of the next days
that they face. Nurse cancer navigators help
and enable patients throughout their cancer
treatment, no matter how many months
or years that may be. Careity licensed
dieticians keep patients healthy in order
for them to get through their treatment. A
Careity psychotherapist and chaplain help
not only the patient but their families, too.
Medical massage therapy, reflexology and
acupuncture programs also play a huge
part in alleviating some of the anxiety.
Every new call we receive is a
journey. But it’s also an opportunity that
we welcome to play an involved part in
someone’s life at a critical time. Careity
brings together the people and resources
to give patients and families hope and keep
them focused on healing.
Help. Hope. Healing. It’s our calling,
so we are always ready for the next call. n
817-882-4100
Lyn Walsh
Co-Founder
High Demand
Careity
Helping Hand
2 www.careity.org