C A N C E R S U R V I V O R
Judith Kehoe
Personal Experience, Personal Care
By MELISSA MOORMAN
Cancer patients who work with
Careity social worker Judith
Kehoe are often astounded by
her great empathy. Few realize
that it comes from first-hand
experience.
Judith Kehoe knows a lot about
cancer. She’s a great resource for
the patients at the Center for Cancer &
Blood Disorders in her role as a social
worker. But what most people don’t
know is that much of her knowledge
comes from Judith’s own cancer
journey which began in March of 2004
when she was diagnosed with breast
cancer, specifically a stage II triple
positive invasive carcinoma.
When she began her treatment post
diagnosis, she was not alone for the
first part of her cancer journey. She
shared it with her father who was
undergoing treatment for metastatic
prostate cancer that he had been
diagnosed with two years earlier.
“We went through chemo together,”
she said. “We lost our hair together.”
Unfortunately, her dad lost his battle
with cancer and passed away on
Christmas Day of 2004.
Even with that loss, Kehoe didn’t
give up hope for her own treatment
and recovery. She continued with
her treatment, which included
a mastectomy, six rounds of
chemotherapy and radiation. All told,
the process took almost a year from
diagnosis to completion. During that
time, she took time off her job as a
social worker and started volunteering
with a local organization that worked
with cancer patients. As a caregiver
to her father and a patient herself, she
felt she had something to give back to
other patients going through their own
cancer journeys.
She didn’t know about Careity
Foundation at the time she was
going through her own treatment,
but began her involvement with the
organization when she began working
as an oncology social worker for
Careity at the Center for Cancer and
Blood Disorders. Now she can’t
say enough about the support that
Careity gives to the patients and their
families throughout the course of their
treatment and beyond. She knows the
importance of providing what Careity
does for patients and their families.
“We have a monthly support group
in Weatherford; it has been meeting for
three years. Careity sponsors it
and provides the meal. Patients love it.
They come and share their stories.
We had 27 people attend a support
group at our Magnolia location. It’s
nice to share a meal together while
getting support and encouragement,”
said Kehoe.
“All of the patients at the support
group have different diagnoses.
Anywhere from newly diagnosed,
reoccurrences and survivors. It’s just a
place to get encouragement and hope.
One of the patients who attends the
group is a thirteen-year survivor. When
people come in and they have had a
terrible diagnosis they can get to see
her and she provides them some hope.
Careity Foundation also provides
financial resources to patients as
well as providing professionals like
her that help patients navigate their
way through cancer treatment and
recovery. Careity provides resources
like dieticians, massage therapists,
chaplains and patient navigators who
help walk patients through the process
and tell them about all the services they
have. To provide those services Careity
raises money through events like its
Celebrity Cutting, and Careity Rocks.
“Careity offer so much support.
48 www.careity.org