Those poor golf shots a WIN for cancer victims

Kelcy Dolan
Posted 10/6/15

Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis is tough for everyone, but for those women who are already struggling financially, who may not have the resources or support, the diagnosis becomes that much more …

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Those poor golf shots a WIN for cancer victims

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Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis is tough for everyone, but for those women who are already struggling financially, who may not have the resources or support, the diagnosis becomes that much more threatening.

Meaghan Almon was diagnosed with breast cancer in May, and has been a patient at Kent Hospital’s Breast Health Center.

With doctors happy with her progress, her final chemo session approaching, and a large support system, Almon feels both “lucky and blessed.”

“I didn’t have a rough go of it,” Almon said. “We would see women coming in by taxi, women who weren’t sure how they were going to make it through the week. It’s not a big center; you can hear things that are going on.”

During her time with the Breast Health Center, Almon learned about the Women in Need Program (WIN), a relatively new program started in October 2014 that helps those women in the center who are struggling financially. Almon has since held various fundraisers with family and friends throughout the summer to benefit the program. One fundraiser, with the Tuesday Twilight Girls Golf League, lasted all summer long.

Kim McDonough, nurse manager at the center, was inspired to begin the program after one patient, who was caring for two high school boys, received threats of eviction from her landlord.

“We see so many women daily who can’t afford their co-pays, food or they lose their jobs because of treatment. I thought we needed to start a fund for the women right here in our own community,” she said.

Previously McDonough said the center held fundraisers for larger nonprofits such as the Gloria Gemma Foundation, but one never knows where that money eventually ends up. Although they have continued donating to other groups, McDonough said, the WIN program, which is funded completely through donations and fundraisers currently, is a way for the center to give back to the women suffering right here.

Women in the program are given gift cards to stores such as Stop & Shop, CVS and Rite Aid; in the last year WIN has helped 25 women and their families.

McDonough said, “It’s an emotional time for these women and some of them are battling this all alone. They don’t have any resources to rely on and dealing with a cancer diagnosis is difficult enough. Financial and emotional concerns only add more stress to a patient. It feels good to be able to help them in this way.”

Almon said she couldn’t imagine having to struggle financially throughout treatment, worrying about groceries or rent when one’s health should be the top concern.

“That really put things into perspective for me. They have no idea how to get some of their most basic needs,” Almon said. “Once my family and I heard about the program, we wanted to get involved.”

Dr. Candace Dyer, director of the Breast Health Center and also a member of the Twilight League, said, “You wouldn’t believe how many women come in here without resources, without anything, no friends and family. Meaghan had that and wanted to give to those who didn’t.”

She believes Almon is lucky to have not only a group of people to support her through treatment, but that would also help her in giving back to the WIN program.

As Almon began to tell others about the program, people were quick to want to help.

“This is an issue everyone can see and everyone is or knows someone battling,” Almon said.

Almon received a lot of support from her golf league, Tuesday Twilight Girls, who in turn also supported WIN with a fundraiser that lasted all summer long.

The league, with nearly 30 women, meets every Tuesday for nine holes at Warwick Country Club, and to make things interesting, they decided to host different challenges each week. The challenges would be along the lines of not hitting trees, no bunkers and so forth. When any one player would go against the challenge, they would have to donate a dollar or two to WIN. Throughout the summer they raised more than $800 with the league.

“We raised a good little chunk,” Almon said. “The group was definitely more willing to fess up to a mistake this way, too. We all come from different backgrounds, but we just have a blast together. They embraced me and this cause so well; I’m blessed to be a part of a group like this.”

“I guess we had a lot of bad shots,” Dyer joked. “It just goes to show how much this group cares and how many people are touched by breast cancer.”

Both Dyer and Almon believe the Twilight League will continue raising money for WIN next year when their league starts up again.

Along with the Twilight League fundraiser, Almon inspired other fundraisers with Ocean State Crossfit, which raised $2,800; one through The Way Human Performance Institute, which raised $1,600; and Almon and her family sold T-shirts, which raised $5,000.

This past Saturday night, she along with friends and family hosted a “Glow Ball” tournament at the Warwick Country Club, which raised more than $16,000 for WIN.

For more information on WIN or how to donate, contact McDonough at kmcdonough@kentri.org.

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