When Pamela Shumpert of Gary first felt the lump on her breast in 2003, she spent one entire shower crying, paralyzed by fear, unthinkable notions pulverizing her hopes and dreams of the future.
As confirmation of her diagnosis unfolded, and her anxiety heightened, Shumpert's surgeon, Dr. Nabil Shabeeb, recognized that tending to his patient's emotional and psychological needs are tantamount in importance to the top medical treatments. He suggested she go to the Cancer Resource Centre, a nonclinical place, located in Munster, dedicated solely to providing support, education and encouragement to those diagnosed with cancer.
In fact, it was Shumpert's mother, Barbara Seitz, of Griffith, who was the first person to walk through the center's doors five years ago.
"I wanted to know treatments, expectations, questions we should be asking, things we should be looking for," Seitz says.
She found those things and more. Seitz and Shumpert borrowed armloads of books and videotapes. They looked up terms from the biopsy report. They attended classes, support groups and presentations. Shumpert eventually even found herself giving advice to others.
Since the day Seitz went to the Cancer Resource Centre, it has had 14,299 more visits.
How fitting then, that it will be Shumpert and Seitz who will ceremoniously turn on the fountains of the new healing garden at an open house and dedication of the garden from noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, June 27 at the Cancer Resource Centre and Community Cancer Research Foundation's new home at 926 Ridge Road in Munster.
The center came about in 2003 as a support service of The Community Health System's Cancer Research Foundation, a nonprofit organization that originated to advance the prevention, treatment, education, detection and diagnosis of cancer and to bring access to cancer clinical research trials from around the globe to patients here. The foundation's administrator, Mary Shields, says physicians had recognized that the emotional and psychosocial needs of their patients weren't being met and mobilized to bring such support here.
Tony Andello, Cancer Resource Centre director, sees each person who walks through the doors. He witnesses the transformation from angry and scared to a somewhat calming state that allows them to focus and better deal with their journey with cancer.
"They feel like they are wearing a scarlet 'C,' he says. "That there is no future."
But as he likes to remind them, "the day that you are diagnosed, you are a cancer survivor."
He draws from his personal experience of losing a friend to leukemia in 1990.
He says he was excited to see the opening of the Cancer Resource Centre because it provided what his friend's family had lacked, like a better understanding of what cancer is, access to clinical trials and research, assistance in getting second and third opinions, an education on what to expect from chemotherapy and radiation, and perhaps most importantly, somebody to just listen.
"When I lost my best friend, it took a lot out of me, but it gave me the insight that all you have to do is be there to help people."
As Seitz and Shumpert know firsthand, knowledge is power.
"The outside world doesn't always understand cancer," Seitz says. "It's just a word. It's a scary word. But you've got to take little bites of it and learn."
The new location, right next door to its previous home, provides patients and their families with about 5,000 square feet of space, which features a therapeutic garden with serene waterfalls, brick walkways and paths and patios ideal for relaxation.
The new building boasts more space for its mind-body-spirit programs such as yoga, art therapy, empowerment drumming, reiki, chi gong, guided imagery and more. The center also offers several support groups and a walk and fun run scheduled for Oct. 4.
"I owe my healing to so many people," Shumpert says. "I know that the Cancer Resource Centre's atmosphere is filled with love and caring people. Love and care helps people heal. They gave me strategies to cope and they gave me the strength and courage to keep going."
To contact the Cancer Resource Centre, call (219) 836-3349 or visit cancerresourcecentre.com. To contact the Community Cancer Research Foundation, call (219) 836-6875 or visit comhs.org/crf/.
