Cancer Society donates hampers to its clients

Several of the island’s cancer patients continue to be cared for despite the the grip of COVID-19 on our nation.

With those affected by various forms of the disease and at different stages of their treatment journey – ranging from 18 months to 50 years – the Barbados Cancer Society continues to support
their affiliates and yesterday handed out some grocery hampers at their Collymore Rock headquarters.

Speaking to members of the media, Client Services Coordinator Jacqueline Skeete explained that the hampers were their latest contribution to their clients.

“Today we are giving the hampers, but from about March we have been quietly giving vouchers so that persons can go and purchase groceries. Many people like to take the money, funds or vouchers and purchase what they would like. But today we thought that we would purchase some actual foodstuff and present to them. So this is one in a series of gifts that we have been looking after our clients – we call them our family.”

With items such as chicken and eggs for protein and potatoes and sweet potatoes for for fibre in hampers aimed at delivering a nutritionally balanced offering, Barbados Cancer Society Cancer President Dr. Dorothy Cooke-Johnson explained that their welfare programme has been running for the past 40 years.

“There are hundreds of hundred of persons who have benefitted with medication, with transport and with all sorts of things from the society. It’s a strong, vibrant welfare programme. Anyone getting regular therapy, anyone getting chemotherapy, anyone who has cancer who is referred privately, anyone who is post-mastectomy, we have a series of programmes. But in this case for welfare, we look after children, we put children in children’s homes if they need it. We look after the schooling and we look after every individual need that comes up,” she stated, noting that transport and food are needed most at this time.

Going on to say that most patients opt to keep their illness private, Skeete added that the time is ripe to highlight some of the work the Society has been doing over the years.

“We are very concerned and considerate as far as that is concerned because if it happened to be me, that’s what I would like. Privacy and confidentiality are way up there and as Dr. Cooke-Johnson said, the hampers have been going on since Christmas, but because of the COVID-19 we are bringing it out a little more into the public to show that the Barbados Cancer Society is there working with family,” she said.
(MP)