20 years of - Team CanCare

CanCare, Inc. provides
Number One 2010
one-on-one, emotional
support for cancer
patients and their families.
20 Years
of
HOPE!
“Celebrating 20 Years of Hope”
L to R: CanCare volunteers: Leonard Donaldson, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor
since 1992; Burr Buckalew, leukemia (CML) survivor since 1992; Teresa Triplett,
breast cancer survivor since 2006; and Nancy Tucker, thyroid cancer survivor
since 1990.
L
ooking back 20 years ago to the
year 1990, there were some major
events happening in the world:
the Hubble Telescope was launched into
space, smoking was banned on almost
all domestic airline flights, and Anne
Shaw Turnage was hard at work creating
an organization based on the belief that
no one with cancer should suffer alone.
Anne, who celebrates 37 years as a survivor
of colon cancer this year, was given a
$10,000 gift from an anonymous donor
at Memorial Drive
Presbyterian Church
in 1990 to start a
ministry with the
mission of improving
the quality of life for cancer patients and
their families… and CanCare was launched!
With all of the changes over the past 20
years, one thing has remained constant –
CanCare has been helping people during
their battle with cancer day in and day out
through two decades.
A few of CanCare’s celebrated
milestones include:
1990 - Our first member congregation,
Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church,
helped CanCare train 35 volunteers
and served 48 clients with one-on-one
support.
1993 – Memorial Hermann Memorial
City Hospital became our first hospital
partner and patient visitation program.
1997 – Nancy Tucker became President of
CanCare.
2001 – Conoco (now ConocoPhillips)
became our first corporate partner.
20 Years
of
HOPE!
(continued from page 1)
Jump forward to the year 2010.
CanCare now has 93 partner
congregations, 23 corporate partners
and 15 member hospitals (13 of which
have CanCare volunteers visiting patients
and family members through hospital
visitation programs.) That’s a total of 131
community partners helping CanCare
to support others fighting cancer. (A
full list of CanCare’s partners can be
viewed at www.cancare.org - click on the
Community Partners tab.)
Over the years, CanCare has trained
1,293 volunteers and has touched the
lives of more than 450,000 people with
our message of Hope. Our volunteers
have worked one-on-one with more than
11,000 people and our hospital volunteers
have made almost 55,000 visits to
patients in Houston-area hospitals to offer
CanCare’s support.
Thanks to you - our volunteers, board
members, donors and partners - we have
come a long way in serving those in our
community with cancer.
We hope that everyone in the CanCare
family will join us as we honor Mrs. Anne
Shaw Turnage this year at CanCare’s 16th
Annual National Cancer Survivors Day
Luncheon on May 27, 2010. She and her
late husband, Mac Turnage, are the coauthors of “More Than You Dare to Ask:
The First Year of Living with Cancer” and
the editors of “Grace Keeps You Going:
Spiritual Wisdom from Cancer Survivors.”
The keynote speaker and singer for the
event will be first runner up of the biggest
talent competition in the world, “America’s
Got Talent,” soprano Barbara Padilla. Mrs.
Padilla is a Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor
and makes her home in Houston, Texas.
Mark your calendars and check our next
newsletter for additional details about the
luncheon.
Training Classes in 2010 –
Become a volunteer!
C
anCare has three training sessions
scheduled for 2010:
Kim Akel, CanCare’s
Director of Program
Services, with Roy
Davis and Pat HoganKorge, CanCare’s
Volunteer Trainers
February 19-21
June 11-13
October 8-10
We trained a record number of CanCare
volunteers last year and we’re looking
forward to a great turnout again in 2010.
Classes are open to people of all faiths
who want to help others who have been
diagnosed with cancer. To become a
CanCare volunteer, you must either be
a cancer survivor who has been finished
with treatments for at least six months, or
have been the caregiver/family member
of a cancer survivor. CanCare volunteers
act as mentors to patients during their
treatment and work with family members
to provide encouragement and hope. We
train survivors of all types of cancer, and
currently have a special need for volunteers
who a) want to make hospital visits to
patients in the Houston-area, b) have been
caregivers of breast cancer survivors, or
c) are survivors of lung, pancreatic, liver
or brain cancer. If you are ready to help
someone else through their journey with
cancer, call CanCare at 713-461-0028.
w w w. c a n c a r e . o r g
It’s an Honor:
Congratulations to Beverly and Warren Bright on the arrival of their new
grandson, Wesley James Threadgill, born January 21, 2010. Proud new parents,
Bonnie and Warren Threadgill, are beaming with pride and joy!
Congratulations to CanCare board member, Shelaghmichael Brown, who was
recently honored at an awards dinner in New York for being one of “The 25 Most
Powerful Women in Banking.”
2
Houston Marathon Highlights
J
anuary 17, 2010 was a race day
to remember. CanCare had more
than 150 runners in the marathon,
half-marathon and 5k who helped Team
CanCare raise more than $124,000 and
counting.
Thanks to our wonderful volunteers
who made the day a success and to Pat
Hogan-Korge and Nan McCreary who
spent months in advance doing everything
Bill and Debbie Vetters
from recruiting runners to managing a
website and newsletter for Team CanCare
– these two ladies continue to amaze us!
We also had 87 volunteers who spent
two days stuffing 27,000 race packets
for the participants in all three races as a
fundraising venture. The new Embassy
Suites off of I-10 at Kirkwood donated
their conference room free of charge for
the project.
Our appreciation goes out to our new
and veteran Team CanCare runners and
fundraisers, Fred Korge and Jim McCreary
for supporting their wives and Team
CanCare, and our great sponsors – Arne’s
Warehouse, Bushwacker Aveda Concept
Salon and Day Spa, Copano Energy,
Hagglunds, Gillock Creative, Moore
& Associates, Saint Arnold Brewing
Company, and Williams. Toss a little music
in the mix with the sounds of the After
Hours Band with Cat Burrell and some
might say we had ourselves a party on the
race course!
As the Houston Chronicle quoted,
“CanCare of Houston volunteers along the
final mile on Rusk also earn a shout-out
for their yellow foam wigs. It’s hard to grab
someone’s attention after he’s run more
than 25 miles, but that they did.”
Pat Hogan-Korge, Pam Moore, Eva Geer
The Parnell family
Veronica Edwards
Susan Clifton, Amy Tanner, Nancy Radecki, Michael Sieger, Dixie Ward
Beverly and Warren Bright, Amy Tanner
3
713.461.0028
And the Harley Goes
HOG FO R H O L L A N D R A F F L E
to…
W
inning a new Harley-Davidson
is quite a holiday surprise! That
was the case for Amber Alonso
of Houston, Texas who purchased a raffle
ticket in CanCare’s “Hog for Holland”
Raffle, which honored John Holland,
CanCare board member and Senior
Managing Director at C.B. Richard Ellis.
John was on hand with his wife, Laura, to
draw the winning ticket on December 1,
2009 at Mancuso Harley-Davidson.
Amber decided to take the cash value of
the bike and graciously donated a portion
of it back to CanCare. “Winning the raffle
came at a really special time for my family,
and I’m happy to be able to share some
of the good fortune with CanCare,” said
Amber.
Thank you to John “J.T.” Thompson
from Mancuso Harley-Davidson who
made the raffle possible, the incredible
team at CBRE for all of their help selling
tickets and Cory Hawryluk, CanCare
volunteer and board member, who headed
up raffle efforts.
The raffle raised more than $36,000 for
CanCare.
Honoree for the raffle,
John Holland
Raffle Drawing
Party at
Mancuso
HarleyDavidson
Harley Winner Amber Alonso with John “J.T.” Thompson and Cory Hawryluk
CanCare Welcomes
New Partner Congregation, HCRJ
H
ouston Congregation for
Reform Judaism (HCRJ) in
Houston, Texas, has remained
Houston’s primary
classical reform
Jewish synagogue
for over 50 years.
It is located in the
heart of Houston’s
Galleria area, and
offers a small,
w w w. c a n c a r e . o r g
vibrant and inclusive setting where
worship, study and fellowship help in
nurturing an intimate congregational
family.
Rabbi Steven
Gross has been
the spiritual leader
of HCRJ since
2005. Under his
leadership and vision
he has sought to
4
build a strong sense of community that
is committed to lifelong learning and
spiritual enrichment. To that end, HCRJ
offers a religious school that is based on
an extremely innovative and dynamic
curriculum. Adult learning addresses
contemporary issues and seeks to broaden
our abilities to address challenging issues in
an ever changing world. Worship services
are offered every Friday night at 7:15 p.m.
All are welcome to attend.
UPCOMING EVENTS
BOARD S P O T L I G H T:
Weekend of April 23-25
FunFare Tennis Tournament for
CanCare
Liza Kutner
Chair, CanCare Board of
Representatives
Member, CanCare Board of Directors
Thursday, May 27
CanCare’s 16th Annual Cancer
Survivors Day Luncheon
Weekend of June 4-6
National Cancer Survivors Day in
Member Congregations
L
iza Kutner was approached over ten
years ago by CanCare’s founder,
Anne Turnage, to get involved with
CanCare through her church, Chapelwood
United Methodist Church, where Liza
is the Director of Caring and Relational
Ministries. Chapelwood became a CanCare
member congregation and Liza says, “I
immediately got involved and am still
reaping the gifts that my many years with
CanCare have given me.”
Liza currently serves as Chair of
CanCare’s Board of Representatives and
serves on CanCare’s Board of Directors.
She has helped CanCare in many ways
over the years including serving on the
Volunteer Steering Committee and
Congregational Relations Committee,
speaking at various CanCare events and has
helped with the Annual Clergy Luncheon.
Liza shares, “I always leave feeling much
better and filled with hope any time I am
involved with CanCare. CanCare is the
heart of hope.”
Liza lost her mother and her sister to
cancer and has walked alongside many
friends through their battle with cancer.
“Having a CanCare volunteer visit my
sister in the hospital last spring was a
true highlight for my sister as well as
the rest of our family. The love, support,
encouragement, comfort and presence of
staff and volunteers during my role as a
caregiver for my sister this last year was one
of the greatest gifts I have received.”
Liza understands firsthand about the
importance of helping others. In addition
to her devotion to CanCare, she oversees
Chapelwood’s Stephen Ministry, Special
Needs Ministry, ChristCare Small Group
Ministry, Prison Ministry and Support
Groups. She also serves on the Board
of Directors at Santa Maria Hostel, the
Saturday, May 1
Young Friends 6th Annual Crawfish
Boil
2010
DON’T MISS
CANCARE’S 16TH
ANNUAL NATIONAL
CANCER SURVIVORS
DAY LUNCHEON
MAY 27, 2010
Liza Kutner
Advisory Board of the Council on Alcohol
and Drugs-Houston, the Advisory Board
of Interface Samaritan Counseling Centers
and has received the Chairman’s Award
of the Council on Alcohol and Drugs –
Houston. She says, “I love what I do and
being able to see people get help and move
forward with their life.”
Liza is a native Houstonian, graduated
from The University of Texas, and has
two adult children. “Married life took me
to many states. I love to travel, read, play
golf (when I have time) and I have an
admiration for elephants.”
When asked why she believes in the
mission of CanCare, she replied, “I believe
in CanCare because they are believers
in life and making the best of a most
dreadful disease. They are a quiet presence
in the midst of a ‘turn your life upside
down’ experience. And all the while, they
are offering their experiences, support,
understanding, encouragement, concern,
comfort, love and hope! How can you not
believe in CanCare?”
5
SPECIAL GUEST: Barbara Padilla,
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Survivor,
Opera Singer, and America’s Got
Talent Finalist
Register online at www.cancare.org
713.461.0028
CanCare’s Annual
Interfaith Clergy Luncheon
C
anCare’s 2009 Annual Interfaith
Clergy Luncheon was held
November 4 at Congregation
Beth Yeshurun where more than 100
people gathered to hear the topics
“An Introduction to Oncology Nurse
Navigators” by Amy Deutsch, Advanced
Practice Nurse, Memorial Hermann
Cancer Centers and Carol Lewis,
Oncology Nurse Navigator, Memorial
Hermann The Woodlands and “What
Now? The Challenges of Re-engaging in
Life After Treatment” Panel Discussion
with CanCare volunteers: Mr. Bill
Hall, colon cancer survivor, Dr. Janet
Hoagland-Sorensen, lung cancer survivor
and caregiver for her husband, Mr. Jim
Sorensen, caregiver for his wife and breast
cancer survivor, and Ms. Jill Gentsch,
non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and stem cell
transplant survivor.
Thank you to hosts Rabbi David
Rosen, Senior Rabbi of Congregation
Beth Yeshurun, Rabbi Steven Morgen of
Congregation Beth Yeshurun, and Mr.
Michael Wiesenthal, CanCare client and
member of Congregation Beth Yeshurun
for sharing his personal journey with
cancer.
The luncheon was graciously
underwritten by Hall Barnum Lucchesi
Architects and JD Miner Systems; and
a special thanks go out to Leah Katz
for heading up the event and Garry
Schoonover, Liza Kutner, Warren Bright
and Joe Cantrell for helping to make the
event a success.
Michael Wiesenthal
The Panelists - Jill Gentsch, Jim Sorensen, Janet Hoagland-Sorensen, Bill Hall,
and moderator Dr. Tommy Thompson
Angela Sisk, Oncology Nurse Navigator, Memorial
Hermann Northwest, Amy Deutsch, Advanced
Practice Nurse, Memorial Hermann Cancer Centers
and Carol Lewis, Oncology Nurse Navigator,
Memorial Hermann The Woodlands
Jim Sorenson, Dr. Janet Hoagland-Sorensen
and Tommy Thompson
Bill Hall and Warren Bright
Jill Gentsch and Jill Pavlas
Kim Akel and Leah Katz
w w w. c a n c a r e . o r g
6
VOLUNT E E R S P O T L I G H T
Bill Davis: “It Was
B
ill Davis will tell you that his
attitude is like his blood type: B
positive. Maybe that’s why after
being robbed and shot in the abdomen,
Bill isn’t bitter or angry. He actually thanks
God for his good fortune. Being a survivor
is also in Bill’s blood. His mother was a
three-time cancer survivor, and his father
was one of 5,000 Auschwitz death camp
survivors during the Holocaust.
Bill and his wife Esta run their own
cosmetic dermatology business, A-cute
Derm, Inc. One night, Bill was locking
up the office when a man emerged from
behind a nearby column, put a gun to his
head, forced him back into the office and
demanded all of his money. Bill gave him
everything he had, but the man insisted
several times, “there must be more!” When
the alarm sounded, and Bill refused to turn
it off, the man shot him in the abdomen
and ran out the door. “There was blood
everywhere: on my tie, on my shirt, on the
floor,” Bill recalls.
At the hospital, the nurses could not
find an exit wound. They saw what they
thought was the entry point near his navel
and assumed the bullet was still inside.
After an extensive search, no bullet was
T E N N I S
T O U R N A M E N T
Sign up now for CanCare’s
FunFare Tennis Tournament
April 23 – 25, 2010
Register online at
www.cancare.org under Events
meant to
found, but a spot was discovered on his
kidney that turned out to be a malignant
tumor.
Bill later noticed a hole in the belt he
was wearing when he was shot. Suddenly,
it all made sense. The bullet had gone
in through his belt, changed direction,
and came out near the navel. What they
thought was the entry wound was actually
the exit wound. The bullet was on the floor
of his office the whole time.
The missed hole in the belt allowed them
to catch the cancer very early, at stage I.
Although the tumor was 3 ½ inches in
diameter, it was completely encapsulated
in the kidney sack and never metastasized.
“I have to be here for another reason,” says
Bill. “There were just too many different
things that all occurred in my favor… it’s
uncanny to see how things unfolded.” He
likens his experience to an old Hebrew
term, “b’sherit” which is roughly translated,
“it was meant to be.” Bill believes that
everything happens for a reason, including
his brush with the gunman, the belt he
was wearing, the oversight of the second
bullet wound at the hospital, the cancer
diagnosis and his new outlook on life after
cancer. The robber was eventually caught
Be”
and given a
life sentence
without
parole.
Bill became
a CanCare
volunteer
in February
2007 and says
he is living a
fuller life by
giving back
to others. He Bill Davis
and his wife
enjoy donating their time and money to
nonprofit organizations like CanCare and
Crimestoppers.
Bill has been matched with three people
facing cancer and has provided them with
one-on-one support. He says it warms his
heart to make people feel better. “People
need comfort, to know things are okay and
that they can have hope. You have to have
a great attitude. You’ve got to look forward
to things.”
His secret is this: “You have to make
every day as great as you can. You have to
push forward and try, as if every day were
your last.”
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR
THE 6TH ANNUAL
YOUNG FRIENDS OF CANCARE
CRAWFISH BOIL
MAY 1, 2010
7
713.461.0028
Nonprofit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Houston TX
Permit #7983
9575 Katy Freeway, Suite 428
Houston,Texas 77024
713.461.0028
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
DATED MATERIAL
www.cancare.org
T H E M I S S I O N O F C A N C A R E : To i m p r o v e t h e q u a l i t y o f l i f e f o r c a n c e r p a t i e n t s a n d t h e i r f a m i l i e s .
Please remember these people in your prayers:
CanCare Board of Directors
Wil C. Uecker, Ph.D., Chair
Richard A. Hollar, Treasurer
Patrick J. Kiley, Secretary
Jill McDonald Pavlas, Legal
Counsel
Patricia Hogan-Korge, M.A.,
Lifetime Director
Richard A. Lindermanis,
Lifetime Director
F. Max Schuette, Lifetime
Director
Warren E. Bright
Shelaghmichael C. Brown
T. Jay Collins
Thomas V. Costantino
Harvey G. Garza
William W. Hall, Jr.
Lynn Adams Hancock
B. Cory Hawryluk
John A. Holland
Liza Kutner
Chad N. Lyons
John D. Miner
Jay Morris, M.D.
Emily Prus
Kim Ainslie, Nancy Bennett, Wally Boutilier, Carol Campbell, Paula Canik,
Virginia Curtis, The Family of Jennie Dane, Devon Floyd, John Holland,
Norma Jones, Chris Kaufman, Mary Lewis, Jonathan Lund, Louis Marshall,
Frank Mohler, Doris Obermier, Milton Oglesby, Jan Peine,
The Family of Dave Reimers, Dianne Stewart, Patty Stone, Eleanor Taylor,
Kim Thibodeaux, and Michael Wiesenthal
CANCARE IS NOW ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.
FOLLOW US FOR THE
LATEST NEWS AND
EVENT PHOTOS.
CanCare Board of
Representatives
Liza Kutner, Chair
Dorothy Abbott
Darlene Alexander
Dianne Gautier Anderson
Marcia Barham
Gloria Barnes
Philip David Belanger
Stacei Bible
Rachel G. Birney
Marty R. Buck
Jeanne Byrd
Bitsy Cleveland
Bernard “Sonny” Conner
Sharon D. Cooper, R.N.
Florida Cornelius-Cooper
Ruth M. Davies
The Rev. Mrs. Janet C.
Dennard
Nancy D. Devlin
Rita J. Donaldson
Helen Duesing
Nila Fenton
Elizabeth Fish
Donna Q. Fong
Connie Marie Fowler
Frances S. Franklin
Roberta D. Ganek
Jill Gentsch
Rabbi Dan M. Gordon
William W. Hall, Jr.
David Harris
We thank ConocoPhillips for their 2010 pledge of printing
to CanCare, Inc. This generous donation enables us to share
CanCare’s message of Hope through this publication, About Life.
We appreciate the continued support of ConocoPhillips and
its employees.
CanCare Staff
Nancy Tucker, President and CEO
Tommy Thompson, COO and EVP
Nicole Dixon, Director of Communications
Kim Akel, Director of Program Services
Amy M. Tanner, Director of Development
Anne McCluan, Assistant to the President
Debbie Edmondson, Business Manager
Pat Weatherspoon-Hall, Volunteer and Client
Services Coordinator
Editor, Nicole Dixon, [email protected]; volunteer editor, David King. Graphic
Design production, Hanagriff King Design, Inc. Contributing writers: Kim Akel,
Nicole Dixon, Anne McCluan. Contributing photographers: Kim Akel, Nicole
Dixon, Kevin McGowan Photography, Amy Tanner. About Life is published quarterly
by CanCare, Inc., a volunteer ministry for and by cancer patients and survivors and
their families. This nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization is located at 9575 Katy Freeway,
Suite 428, Houston, Texas 77024. Phone: 713.461.0028 or 1.888.461.0028 Fax:
713.461.0704, www.cancare.org.
8
Schottsie Hill
Donna Hyde
David Johnson
Lisa Johnson
The Rev. Dr. Robert Joiner,
Jr.
Elizabeth Kabat
Leah Katz
Frances S. Kittrell
Cindi D. Kuykendall
Gary P. Lamb
Hubert Lancaster
Larry Latimer
Jim LeBlanc
John Leslie, Sr.
Sarah C. McCall
Judith E. McGuire
Ardelia McNulty
Paul G. Meyer
The Rev. Ms. Kim Meyers
Marian A. Murphree
Patricia K. Nickel
John W. Overton
Sally H. Powell
Emily Prus
Betsy Schauer
Roger Schuelke
Lynn H. Schulenberg
Stephen H. Schultheis
Russell K. Schulze II
The Rev. Mrs. Lillie Seals
Joann Seuser
James O. Simmons
The Rev. Mr. Timothy W.
Sloan
Andrew E. Smith
Patricia B. Stone
Donna A. Vokaty
Lorna Weible
Mikki Wunderle
Friends of CanCare Board of
Directors
Emily Prus, President
Cynthia Bryant
Linda Case
Leslie Coleman
Phyllis Dent
Brooke Drake
Dixie Evans
Pat Hogan-Korge
Jan LaRocco
Nan McCreary
Leslie S. Nelson
Gretchen Odum
Mary Jane Roeder
Jamie Sengbusch
Carol Surles
Melanie Turzillo
Dixie Ward
Friends of CanCare Advisory
Board
Lynn Adams Hancock, Chair
Ginger Blanton
Jason Cain
Mary Chavanne-Martin
Jennifer Cunningham
Marilyn Drane
J. Damien Garza
Kathy Garza
Alicia Jansen
Dwight Keys
Linnea Kob
Mindy Lawrence
Susie Loredo
Kerry McKay
Anne Reed
Renee Renfroe
Doug Reuschel
Suzanne Thomas
Jennifer Tweeton
Michael D. Westmoreland,
Pharm.D., BCOP
Nancy Wilfong
Jessica Wilt-Garza
Young Friends of CanCare
Board of Directors
Chad Lyons, Chair
Lauren Box
Beth Bryant
Jordan Buckalew
Kendall Buckalew
Kyle Callender
Lauren Diamond
Taylor Edwards
Burton Hanson
William Jochetz
Sergio Marazita
Kelly McIver
Whitney Rape
Jhonathan Shaikh
Michael Sieger
Shauna Stern
Sonya Villamagna
Meghan Whitworth