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there are also arts-and-crafts activities focused
on helping kids copewith having a parent
fighting cancer or remembering a loved one,
such as decorating andwritingmessages on
pillowcases. these can open a conversation
between the children and their parents
about the diagnosis, as well as help
children connect with each other, who
often exchange phone numbers and
email addresses at the end of the day.
Despite the tremendous impact of Camp
Oasis on cancer patients and their families,
many such support programs aren’t
covered by health insurance; it’s fully funded
by philanthropy. Children attend for free,
thanks to virtua Foundation donors, including
more than 100 individuals whomade donations
onGiving tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015, to support 2016
CampOasis. and virtua oncology nurses likeMiller
— the same nurse navigators who care for the kids’
parents —generously volunteer their time.
Community supporters also host special events
throughout the year to raise funds for virtua cancer
programs. the tyanna BarreO’Brien Foundation, one
of virtua’s dedicated oncology supporters, has raised
over $150,000 so far for the tyanna BarreO’Brien Breast
Care Comfort Fund, largely through their signature
celebration, BreastFest.
Founded by theO’Brien sisters – anne, Megan, Bridget,
Katie, and Sara -- and named in honor of their latemother,
tyanna, the fund provides resources for breast cancer
education and early detection, including genetic
counseling for those at a higher risk, as well as comfort
items for virtua patients in treatment.
“Our goal is patient care, and virtua Foundation has taken
the time to create programs that we can really get
behind,” says SaraO’Brien. “they arewilling towork with
us tomake sure the funds we raise are allotted to the
programs we believe in.”
Other donations help fund LifeCare, virtua’s survivorship
and palliative care program, which helps patients and
families reclaim their lives from the effects of cancer
through post-treatment symptommanagement, fitness,
bereavement counseling, end-of-life care, andmore.
as the demand for cancer services in the region grows
and changes over the next decade, virtuamust also
grow and change tomeet the needs of thosewho rely
on it for support, counseling, and care – and the
continued generosity of our community will bemore
important than ever.
according to the american Cancer
Society, exercise is not only safe and
possible during and after cancer
treatment, but it can improve how well
patients physically function.
But we must
do
more
.