Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center hosted its annual THRIVE survivorship celebration June 23 in recognition and honor of cancer survivors during National Cancer Survivor Month.
The celebration, which focused on cultivating inner peace and greater joy, was hosted at the Cancer Center in collaboration with the Red Shoes Project Hope Program. The event consisted of a luncheon followed by a special presentation from Pasha Hogan, an author, therapist, and three-time cancer survivor. Hogan shared her personal and professional experiences with cancer and commented on the value of finding joy and celebrating life during and after a diagnosis.
Francinne Lawrence, Ph.D., manager of survivorship and integrative medicine at the Cancer Center, spoke to the importance of the event, saying, “Survivorship is an important phase on the cancer care continuum in that it acknowledges the individual’s completion of their initial treatment and their new focus on living life well after a cancer diagnosis.”
The Cancer Center offers many free services for survivors and caregivers with the goal of helping patients live a full and meaningful life during and after treatment. These programs aim to treat the physical, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of survivorship, combining research-based complementary/alternative therapies with traditional cancer care. At the event, survivors were presented with information on some of these programs, including support groups, mindful yoga, healing arts, and meditation. For more information, visit www.marybirdlake.org/thrive.
Pictured are, left to right, Linda Lee, Cancer Center administrator; Pasha Hogan, guest speaker; and Laura Gaddy, Francinne Lawrence and Suzanne Hotard, survivorship program team members.