Our Wellness Program is extremely busy, though our Breast Cancer Center in Grand Harbour had to operate on an appointment system during the lock down we were never closed to those who needed us. Thankfully, we were able to continue with the usual services we offer to breast cancer patients and survivors. Group and Individual counselling made possible via Zoom. Our holistic services; massage, acupuncture, hypnotherapy along with nutritional advice and support, were all made available with special arrangements. Nutritional help was increased dramatically as was our healthy food & drink deliveries for those going through chemotherapy. We are here to advocate and support anyone on their journey with this dreadful disease. Our only aim is to help patients get through their medical treatments and beyond. We are a source of help for anyone going through this very hard journey, they and their families are not alone. Currently we have over 240 patients registered with us and sadly that list grows every single week.
Our Breast Cancer Centre has a dedicated bra measuring and prosthetic fitting room and is well stocked with both items along with pressure vests needed for after surgery. We also offer, wigs, scarfs and bathing suits. All these products are available free to those who need them.
One thing that was achieved during lockdown was the enhancement of our website we were able to expand our information page to include leaflets on virtually everything to do with breast cancer, drugs, treatments side effects etc., we were also able to create an on-line wig catalogue for those patients who do not want to cold cap or cannot cold cap, so they can choose on line the wigs they wish to try.
Our Awareness Programs have re-started, we operate this program all year round, we include, companies, big or small, communities and the schools and colleges – hopefully teaching lessons for life for those young persons, early detection is key, even more so in young victims, most cancers in younger patients are the more aggressive and fast spreading kind. By talking to our youth, we have the added benefit that they will go home and hopefully discuss with their families, therefore spreading the knowledge even further. We will also re-start going into workplaces and other communities through Cayman and the Brac, we are available to attend at any workplace or community center by request ( ).
The Support Groups we run are going from strength to strength, and we have our first proper ones organized already (rather than Zoom), we have various ones each month, smaller intimate groups meet several times per month along with a regular therapeutic art class, the benefits of these groups are huge. The Wellness Program is also available in the Brac, currently there are 16 BC patients located there. We extended our Counseling services in order that even in the event a patient passes away from BC, we are still there for the family left behind.
The Lymphatic Training Grant – We continue to issue these grants to medical professionals.
We continue to purchase mammogram vouchers from H.S.A. and Doctors/CTMH as well as having the availability of the Ocean Med facility, Ocean Med has been our go-to medical centre during lockdown.
We continue to campaign and advocate for all breast cancer patients here in the Cayman Islands and buy vital medical equipment for the hospitals, such at the Paxman Cold Cap machine recently purchased for George Town Hospital and the pending purchase of a Sentinel Node Detector.
We continue our commitment to offer financial support to the Cancer Society’s Financial Support Program for Breast Cancer Patients as well as purchasing mammogram vouchers for them to give out for us and also to the Lions Club of Tropical Gardens to help them with their Breast Cancer Awareness program held during October each year.
Other News
This month we said our fond farewells to Lydia, she returns to the UK to be closer to her grown children, we are so appreciative of all the hard work she has put into her role as Wellness Program Coordinator and Administrator over the past four years, a qualified nurse, she has proved invaluable. We wish her every happiness.
As Lydia departed, we welcome Pam to our team. Pam is already a familiar face to many of our ladies as she has been running our successful Art Therapy Group for quite a while and has been a source of help to the Foundation for many years, creating awareness video’s particularly aimed at younger women living here in Cayman. What a time for Pam to start with us during a pandemic! She is already proving her worth many times over. Pam is also bi-lingual (Spanish), which has inspired us to expand our awareness leaflets to include Spanish language. As a young survivor, Pam has the experience and empathy – vital in our roles here at the Foundation.
Our third member of staff is Fiona, who has been with the Foundation for over a year and is proving an invaluable member of our small team, she is hands-on with our patients, including fitting prosthetics and special bras, and is whipping us all into shape on the very complicated clerical side of our work.
Our Light Up the Night Beach Walk in March (just before lockdown was the most successful ever, thanks to over 800 attendees and our fabulous sponsors, Remax, Armand Hammer Foundation, Caribbean Club, Rum Point Club, Dolphin Point Club, Ocean Med, 3T Cayman, Hurleys Media, Cancer Centers of America, Stone Island, Baptist Health, Davenport, RPBC, The Ritz-Carlton, Janet Jarchow, Party Source, Nyyss OneProductions, AI Rentals, Andro, Butterfield, FSH Design, PWC and Integrity.