A Lifelong Quest to Enhance Psychological Well being Amongst Most cancers Sufferers [Sponsored]

Megan Corridor: Yearly, the Most cancers Neighborhood Awards, sponsored by AstraZeneca, presents a person or group with the President’s Award. This award acknowledges those that are making a significant affect within the lives of most cancers sufferers. In 2021, Margaret Stauffer obtained the President’s Award for her work because the Chief Mission Officer of the Most cancers Help Neighborhood within the San Francisco Bay Space. As we ready for this yr’s awards, we reconnected with Margaret to listen to extra about what’s occurred since she obtained the award. Properly, Margaret Stauffer, it’s such a pleasure to get an opportunity to speak to you. I can’t wait to listen to what you’ve been as much as the previous yr.

Margaret Stauffer: Thanks. It appears like a blur, however we’ll attempt to break it out slightly bit.

Corridor: While you clarify the Most cancers Help Neighborhood to individuals who’ve by no means heard of it and individuals who aren’t a part of the most cancers world, how do you clarify it to them?

Stauffer: I say it’s a spot the place folks can come collectively and join with others who perceive what it’s wish to be coping with a most cancers prognosis, and it’s a spot the place they’ll grow to be knowledgeable and empowered as they’re going by most cancers remedy and past. It’s additionally a spot for family members to get help for what they’re going by, in addition to the affected person.

Corridor: I perceive that your mom went by a fairly brutal expertise when she was identified with most cancers. Do you thoughts telling me slightly bit about that have and the way it knowledgeable your work?

Stauffer: Positive. Initially, I wish to say it was a very long time in the past, so issues have modified dramatically, each when it comes to remedy and when it comes to psychosocial help. However when she was identified with breast most cancers, she had a radical mastectomy, and there have been no help companies for her. She simply had the surgical procedure, and she or he was anticipated to go on together with her life.

However her life was impacted tremendously by that. She was a pianist. She needed to cope with lymphedema in her arm that made that tough. She didn’t know anyone else that had gone by one thing much like what she had gone by. So it was very isolating and lonely and difficult for her, although we, as her household, tried to do what we might. However we didn’t actually perceive both on the time what the impacts have been.

What actually drew me to the work at Most cancers Help Neighborhood was with the ability to create a spot the place folks might get that help, the place they may study remedy choices, the place they may really feel a way of reference to different individuals who know what it’s wish to be coping with this.

Corridor: In case your mom might have benefited from the Most cancers Help Neighborhood, what do you assume she would’ve finished there? How would you’ve gotten set her up with emotional and social help?

Stauffer: Properly, my mom didn’t like to speak about issues that have been non-public or emotional. However I might actually attempt to get her arrange in a help group, as a result of I believe she would actually have loved being with different folks and speaking about their experiences. And I might’ve additionally needed her to entry a few of our wholesome life-style lessons, to check out a yoga class or a Qigong session, and to take pleasure in among the social connections that we now have. For instance, we now have a no-talent expertise present yearly, and I believe she would’ve liked the silliness and the enjoyable and the creativity associated to that.

Corridor: However she truly had expertise. She might’ve performed the piano.

Stauffer: She did have expertise. She wouldn’t have been within the no-talent class.

Corridor: Is that what has impressed you over these so a few years working within the most cancers neighborhood, that have together with your mom?

Stauffer: That’s definitely part of it, however as a wedding and household therapist working within the well being enviornment, I’ve seen over and over the toll that bodily sickness takes on households and actually wish to have an effect on that, and discover higher methods of serving to folks get by that have.

Corridor: You’ve stated that not addressing the emotional and social facets of most cancers care is like paying for an costly automotive and never placing any gasoline in it. Do you thoughts explaining that slightly bit?

Stauffer: Properly, medical remedy is extremely vital, after all. However we additionally know that there are such a lot of different components that contribute as to if or not anyone does properly going by most cancers remedy. The psychosocial side is important. In the event you’re getting nice medical remedy, however you’re actually depressed, and also you don’t get to your physician’s appointment since you don’t really feel like getting away from bed, that’s not going to assist.

Corridor: You obtained the President’s Award a few yr in the past. What did it imply to you whenever you discovered you’d gained?

Stauffer: It was very humbling, I assume, in the beginning, as a result of I do know there are such a lot of folks doing nice work throughout the most cancers house. I felt very moved and touched by it. I’ve devoted 30 years of my life to this work. Having that recognition felt very particular.

Corridor: How has the award modified your life or modified the work of your group?

Stauffer: Properly, I believe it’s helped to extend the visibility of our group. And one of many issues we wish to have the ability to do is assist anyone impacted by most cancers, who’s in our geographic space, who needs our companies. That extra publicity has been crucial. And there’s additionally the fact that there was a monetary piece to the award, and that makes a major distinction in our skill to supply the companies freed from cost.

Corridor: Did the award create any new connections or make it easier to community with different folks doing thrilling work within the most cancers neighborhood?

Stauffer: We’ve already been very linked with all the different most cancers companies in our space, however I believe getting that award reminded folks about our companies and what we do and perhaps put us extra entrance of thoughts.

Corridor: I perceive you’re a decide this time round. With out giving something away, what struck you concerning the nominees this yr?

Stauffer: I used to be so impressed by the nominees for the 4 totally different Catalyst Award areas. It’s such a beautiful factor to see all of the totally different work that’s being finished, each when it comes to remedy advances, but additionally when it comes to reaching individuals who’ve historically been underserved, serving to people who find themselves in additional distant areas get hooked as much as most cancers help and companies. It’s simply very gratifying to see all of the great issues which can be being finished to help folks whereas they’re going by remedy.

Corridor: One of many distinctive issues about these awards is they carry collectively folks from all totally different elements of the most cancers neighborhood. Why do you assume that’s vital?

Stauffer: Properly, I believe there’s a synergy that occurs whenever you’re connecting with different folks, who’re doing both comparable work or new and totally different work to assist people who find themselves coping with most cancers. Having the ability to join with different organizations, different hospital teams, different academic establishments, different non-profits that present such important help, it’s an effective way of studying from one another and supporting one another.

Corridor: As we stay up for, probably, a future that’s much less centered on COVID, what are you wanting ahead to? What offers you hope?

Stauffer: I’m wanting ahead to being in the identical room with the person who I’m chatting with. A part of the neighborhood that we create at Most cancers Help Neighborhood is that reference to one another and with the ability to hug anyone, with the ability to supply them a field of tissues in the event that they’re having a tough time, of with the ability to giggle collectively in the identical room and really feel that camaraderie and connection much more deeply than we will really feel it after we’re on a platform like Zoom.

Corridor: Properly, Margaret Stauffer, thanks a lot for taking the time to speak with me right this moment.

Stauffer: Thanks. You made it simple.

Corridor: Margaret Stauffer is the Chief Mission Officer of the Most cancers Help Neighborhood within the San Francisco Bay Space. In 2021, she obtained the President’s Award from the Most cancers Neighborhood Awards, a part of the AstraZeneca YOUR Most cancers program. YOUR Most cancers brings collectively the neighborhood that’s working to drive significant change in most cancers care. Go to YourCancer.org to be taught extra concerning the C2 award winners and the YOUR Most cancers program.

This podcast was produced by Scientific American Customized Media and made attainable by the help of the AstraZeneca YOUR Most cancers program.

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For extra outstanding tales from the 2021 Winners of the Most cancers Neighborhood Awards, go to our Heroes of Most cancers Care assortment.

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]