December 2, 2007
Chemo Angels
“Chemo Angels is a volunteer organization dedicated to adding a ray of sunshine to the lives of those undergoing IV chemo treatment. We believe people going through the physical, emotional and mental rigors of chemotherapy deserve some encouragement. Many of our Chemo Angel volunteers are cancer survivors themselves, or people whose lives have been affected by cancer in some way. Our common denominator is a desire to brighten the lives of cancer patients while they are going through this challenging time.”
~from the Chemo Angels welcome page~
Back in the 1980s my mother had a recurrence of the breast cancer we thought she had defeated. The prospect of facing chemotherapy, radiation and possible surgery again was very disheartening for her. She was devastated when the chemo made her so weak she could no longer handle the stairs in her own home and she had to move in with me. It was a horrendous time for the entire family, but there were bright spots that helped all of us, most especially her, get through it. The women from her Bible class visited regularly. When she lost her appetite they made all of her favorite foods to tempt her into eating (it worked!) Throughout her treatment she received cards and letters and small gifts that told her that someone was thinking of her and wishing her well. Those women were true angels, reminding Mom on a regular basis that she mattered, and that others cared about her and the ordeal she was going through. That’s why the work of Chemo Angels caught my attention. Chemotherapy is emotionally and physically exhausting. It really bolstered Mom’s spirits to know that people who didn’t have to care did anyway and so willingly gave of themselves to help her through a tough time. Mom eventually lost her battle, but I’m convinced that her special angels were a blessing to her and brought her great comfort. Eveyone undergoing chemothearapy should have that!
You don’t have to live in the same neighborhood to provide that kind of support (minus the personal visits) for someone undergoing chemotherapy. You can do it by becoming a Chemo Angel. It requires a level of committment so they ask you to consider other obligations you may have before you sign on. You’ll need to know that you can send a card or a letter each week for the duration of the patient’s treatment, and to send a few small gifts. Your patient may come to rely on your support, so consider helping in other ways if that level of involvement is beyond you. There are Chemo Angel programs that allow you to help with monetary support or even by donating cars, cell phones and used ink cartridges which the organization will recycle (green support!) There’s a companion program for Senior Angels, too, for those who want to bring some good cheer into the lives of older folks. Check out their guidelines to become a Chemo Angel or to submit your own name or someone else’s for the supportive attention of a personal Chemo Angel or Senior Angel!
Mahalo to my pal Chuck Foxtrot for donating his prize review to this worthy cause, and to Pelf for helping me find them!
Technorati Tags: charities, Chemo Angels, chemotherapy
Posted by skeet @ 2:44 pm • Charity, Health & wellbeing
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December 2nd, 2007 at 6:37 pm, sweetisu Says:
Couple of months after I started treatment, someone told me about this organization/website. I signed up - it took a while for them to hook me up with someone dedicated enough to see me through the remaining months of treatments. But boy, she was and still is an Angel to me. She provided words of comfort and little reminders that someone cares, that I’m loved, without regard to what I have or what I’m going through.
I truly appreciated every single thing she did for me. It was amazingly generous and in tiny small gestures that I will never forget.
For the few minutes that I’m reading her card or her letter, I forget that I’m in pain or that I’m fighting the fight…
It’s worldwide too, so it is NOT limited to the US only. i.e., someone in Canada or Australia can specify to sponsor within their own country.
***
Pelf reads you? Ah. She was at my site for a while
HI Pelf!
December 2nd, 2007 at 6:37 pm, sweetisu Says:
It’s been 7 years since I had my Angel.
December 2nd, 2007 at 11:21 pm, skeet Says:
Sweetisu, I’m so glad to hear such a supportive testimonial from someone who had the direct benenfit of having an Angel. Your personal experience means more than my words ever could. I’m glad you had an Angel to help you through that trying time. I hope you’re doing well now!
I share Pelf’s passion and concerns for endangered turtles and we both like to seek out worthy organizations to blog about, so we visit back and forth from time to time. She’s a great gal with a lot of heart.
December 3rd, 2007 at 6:49 am, corrin Says:
such a fabulous idea. even though my nana didn’t make it through all of her treatments, my papa still reminds us how much she enjoyed the notes, flowers, and knick knacks we sent her every week. it’s nice to see there’s an organization where you can do a little something nice for someone else that can mean so much to them.
December 3rd, 2007 at 8:56 pm, skeet Says:
I’m really impressed with what the Chemo Angels do, Corrin. Small gestures can mean so much, especially when you’re going through a difficult time.
December 4th, 2007 at 5:00 am, pelf Says:
“… and to Pelf for helping me find them!”
Huh? I did? Anyway, thanks for the very flattering testimonial
I
Hi sweetisu! *waves hand*
December 17th, 2007 at 9:59 am, skeet’s stuff » Bloggers Unite in Acts of Kindness Says:
[…] idea and asked me to review a charity of my choice when he won the weekly contest. I posted about Chemo Angels, an organization that provides tangible support to people with cancer who are undergoing the rigors […]
April 1st, 2008 at 3:50 pm, Yvonne Eppinga Says:
I feel that I was treated poorly by staff members of Chemo Angels. They can say and do whatever they want to do behind the anonymity of their website. There had a disturbing incident with a chemo angel and it was poorly resolved so that now I don’t have an angel at all. My main angel e-mailed today and asked why I was removed from the program. I received gifts from an angel which I considered odd and inappropriate and asked to have another angel due to a poor match. This was never done and I continued to get cards, etc from the angel. When I asked again to have the issue resolved, I was told that I had been “petty” and they hadn’t addressed the issue for that reason. Then I was told that they had contacted the angel and told her that she was no longer my angel. This angel got my home phone # and called me after I sent her a letter indicating that I appreciated all that she had done for me and I no longer needed her services. I e-mailed chemo angels and asked why the angel continues to contact me. They said that they must not have her correct e-mail address to contact her. Then I was told that I am being removed from the program since it is “stresful” to me. I emailed back and said that I have a very nice relationship with Michelle and Mary, my current angels and I felt that it would be punishing and the inappropriate action to remove me from the program. I haven’t done anything inappropriate but now I no longer have the program. Michelle,one of my angels contacted me today to let me know that she received a message from Chemo Angels and I have been removed from the program. This is not OK. This is not the way to treat someone with cancer. They removed part of my support group because I had a legitimate complaint. Not nice.
Sincerely,
Yvonne
April 2nd, 2008 at 6:22 am, skeet Says:
Yvonne, I’m so sorry you had a bad experience with Chemo Angles. I hope they’ll reconisder and continue to help provide you with support during your treatment. The concept is certainly a good one, but it seems like maybe they’ve failed to carry the spirit of it into all that they do. Sending you good health wishes!
April 27th, 2008 at 10:05 am, Julie A. Roberts Says:
Hello. I would like to reply to Yvonne’s letter. I am Julie, her former ChemoAngel. I angeled her for a while, sending what I think are nice gifts: little books, angel items, such as a “Guardian Angel” pin, and others, teas, coffees, mugs, etc. I sent a few Christmas or religious/spiritual items. I have angeled 5 other people, and they seemed to like what I sent, and my letters. I never heard from Yvonne or ChemoAngels, that she was unhappy with my angeling, until I got her letter thanking me and saying that she “didn’t need my services anymore”. I was confused, since ChemoAngels hadn’t let me know this. I am sorry that this happened, and am surprised that ChemoAngels didn’t just tell me and assign her another Angel. But, she also could have sent me a letter or email, or called me, as I think I did give her my phone number also. She only sent me one letter, and since I hadn’t received anything from ChemoAngels, was confused. That’s when I called her,and left a message, after having found her number online.
Now, she can have Michelle & Mary continue to send her items, since many of us Angels do so long after our patients/”buddies” have left the program. It isn’t a rule that you stop sending things just because a person has left.
I am sorry she had this bad experience, yet I would have liked to know of this experience sooner, so that I could also have asked ChemoAngels to assign someone else to Yvonne.
Julie A. Roberts, ChemoAngel since 11/2001.
May 8th, 2008 at 4:49 pm, Andrea Says:
It’s sad that the chemo angel sent items that are suggested by the website and that the patient thought the gifts and cards were not appropriate.
July 7th, 2008 at 3:21 am, Missy Says:
Julie violated the ChemoAngels rules when she called Yvonne. No matter what Julie says, she was wrong on that instance - no matter how long she has been an Angel.
And once an Angel is told to stop sending, that is what they are expected to do so why would Julie think that Michelle and Mary will still send to her?
I feel bad for Yvonne. She was treated unfairly and she is right, ChemoAngels hides behind their anonymity.