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WOMEN AND CANCER PROGRAM

Heartwood Program Touches Women in Need: A Report on the Success of 2004

The Women and Cancer Program offered by Heartwood Center for Body Mind Spirit in partnership with Rogers Park Community Council was a tremendous success. With grant funding from the Illinois Department of Health, Office of Women’s Health, the program provided 40 holistic healthcare treatments to low income women living with cancer at no cost to the participant.

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine, Shiatsu and lymphatic drainage treatments, psychotherapy and massage therapy were all utilized by women in the program. We also served these women by offering free classes and participants attended 12 yoga and T’ai Chi classes.

Participants found the program to be extremely beneficial. One participant reported in her follow up questionnaire:

“I am incredibly grateful for the services that were offered to me at Heartwood. Everyone was kind and nurturing, very sensitive to delicate issues. I always felt safe and cared for, something vital after going through this stressful time (physically, emotionally, spiritually).”

This program focused on the quality of care provided and not on quantity of women served. The intention was to provide services to a small number of women many of whom were being treated for late stage metastasized cancer. Due to the very limited time period allowed by the terms of the grant, we were pleased to serve eight women, though with more time we are certain that many more women would have received services. The 40 sessions and 12 classes were distributed to the eight women who participated.

These eight women were affected by and treated for six cases of breast cancer, two cases of melanoma, one case of lymphodema, and one case of bone cancer. In the pre-treatment questionnaire, they reported various physical and emotional pains as a result of their struggle with cancer and the repercussions and side effects of their cancer treatments. There were Caucasians as well as women of color in the program and they ranged in age from 31 to 57. Women came from all over the city of Chicago and Evanston to receive services through this unique program.

 

In her post-treatment questionnaire, one participant wrote:

“The Heartwood program for women with cancer was an incredible gift for me. I feel extremely lucky to have received holistic treatments. They went out of their way to shower me with information, resources, their own time and energy above and beyond the normal parameters of an office visit while at the same time maintaining perfect boundaries and behaving with total professionalism.”

Another woman reported:

“I couldn’t believe how much it helped. My breasts and my whole body felt cleansed and rejuvenated after each treatment. And no more breast pain…”

A third participant stated:

“Through my cancer treatment I felt like doctors treated the cancer. Through holistic healthcare treatments I felt they treated me, the person suffering from cancer, as a whole person, body, mind and spirit.”

Heartwood is incredibly grateful to have been able to provide these much needed services to women living and struggling with cancer. We were pleased with the response to this program in such a short time period and would like to continue to offer these much needed services in the future. We have a wait list of women wanting to be a part of the next Women and Cancer Program.

Now Accepting Your Generous Contributions
Please consider contributing financially by sponsoring a woman in our cancer program. All donations are tax-deductible and are accepted with love and gratitude. For more information, contact Heartwood Owner and Director Nancy Floy at 847.491.1122 x 11 or via email.