The Misericordia has always provided excellent breast care, offering a strong surgical program and rehabilitation service for women who undergo surgery as part of their treatment. Yet, as team members listened to patients over the years, they realized that an integrated, more comprehensive approach was needed to help women make choices and find hope and healing.
Their answer was Healing Connections—a unique program that brings together professionals and survivor-volunteers to offer those with breast cancer both professional clinical assistance and personal support to better navigate the journey from diagnosis through surgery and recovery.
For four subsequent weeks, a group of these women gather at the Misericordia to discuss their fears, concerns, and questions, and to learn invaluable information about exercise and diet from qualified professionals. Since then, the Misericordia has also accessed one-year funding from the Canadian Cancer Breast Cancer Foundation for a Nurse Navigator—an experienced RN who provides additional assistance and one-on-one support for patients.
“From the first to the fourth week of the program, the change in the women is remarkable,” says former registered nurse Claire Lefebvre, one of the survivor-volunteers who leads the free-flowing discussions. “Having good information, answers to their questions and an opportunity to simply cry among those who can empathize with their plight, significantly reduces their fears and anxieties.”
Catherine, who was diagnosed last year, says the program helped demystify the process she was going through—a wonderful support to the guidance and advice provided by her physician. “Claire was there for me from the first biopsy,” says Catherine. “Healing Connections is fantastic—life-saving.”
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