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Moorhouse: Survivorship offering Tomorrow’s Hope today

Survivorship is much more than the dragon boat crew often seen paddling out on Skaha Lake

Survivorship is much more than the dragon boat crew often seen paddling out on Skaha Lake.

While the team of breast cancer survivors boasts an enviable record on the dragon boat racing circuit, it also quietly supports our community in many ways.

Over the past couple of years, they have taken over the distribution of information kits to women undergoing breast cancer surgery. This includes the respected self-help book Intelligent Patient Guide to Breast Cancer.

Written by four oncologists from Vancouver, the book provides patients with the knowledge needed to take an active part in their treatment and therefore better able to deal with their illness.  It covers topics ranging from mammograms to breast self-examination technique, chemotherapy, coping with cancer and more.

Survivorship spokesperson Cathie Lauer said about 15 team members have volunteered to help under a program known as Tomorrow’s Hope, established in 2011.

They distribute the kits to patients undergoing day surgery at Penticton Regional Hospital (in consultation with surgeons and hospital officials) and provide peer support for those diagnosed with breast cancer.

For many years, the Canadian Cancer Society operated a similar program called Reach For Recovery which was later replaced by a generalized cancer peer support program administered from Vancouver via phone consultations.

“Through our dragon boat team, we felt it was important for women to still have this,” Lauer said. “So we thought we would carry on and provide the kit ourselves.”

About 60 kits a year are distributed to local breast cancer patients.  The response has been very gratifying.

“We’ve had people phone us and say it was so wonderful to have that information,” she said. “They all say it was really invaluable.”

Lauer noted the peer support aspect of Tomorrow’s Hope can also provide a morale boost to breast cancer patients who get to talk with someone who has gone through a similar experience.

Survivorship holds three or four annual fundraisers which help pay for the books and other initiatives.

Survivorship is also an enthusiastic supporter of the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation’s campaign to provide the medical equipment for the hospital’s new patient care tower.  This includes a $3,000 donation presented this month.

Our sincere thanks to all our supporters.

Construction news

Speaking of the new PRH tower, we continue to get lots of inquiries as to when construction will actually get underway.  It all hinges on completion of final contract negotiations between the provincial government and EllisDon Infrastructure.

Interior Health announced in January that Ontario-based EllisDon is the preferred private sector proponent for the $325-million hospital expansion project.  Once a performance-based contract agreement is reached, construction activity will begin shortly afterwards, likely sometime in May.

Parking

Hospital parking will definitely be affected by the construction activity. Full details are expected to be released soon by Interior Health.  Stay tuned.

Although the PRH project includes an adjoining parkade, it won’t be built until the new tower is completed (expected by late 2019) since the space is required by the construction crane and other heavy equipment.

Shop local

Shopping local is always a good idea.  Now the PRH Gift Shop has launched a shop local campaign in conjunction with the sale of special tote bags.

The shop off the hospital’s front lobby is operated by volunteers with the Gift Shop Auxiliary, which is raising $150,000 for the SOS Medical Foundation’s campaign to equip the new patient care tower at PRH.  Shop local and support your hospital.

John Moorhouse is the development and communications officer for the South Okanagan Similkameen Medical Foundation.