Kilgore volunteers help make cancer patients recovery easier

Linda Sartor, Ruth Ann Camp, Jerry Camp and Claud Wallace were honored for their work with the American Cancer Society's Road to Recovery program, which pairs volunteer drivers with cancer patients who need a ride to treatments. The foursome received certificates of appreciation during last month's Relay for Life kickoff meeting. For cancer patients, the road to recovery can be a long and winding one, but the American Cancer Society has found a way to ease some of the journey's pain and uncertainty by providing transportation to and from life-saving treatments and doctors' appointments.

Four Kilgorites are among those volunteers nationwide who have literally traveled thousands of miles to ensure cancer patients who need help with transportation get it in East Texas. Claud Wallace, Linda Sartor, Ruth Ann and Jerry Camp all say the ACS Road to Recovery program is one of the most rewarding things they've ever done.

Wallace, who has been driving cancer patients for the past four years or so, said he became involved with the program as a member of the ACS Gregg County South board of directors and volunteer for the local Relay for Life.

"They asked for drivers one time and Linda Sartor and I volunteered," Wallace said. The Camps joined later.

All volunteer their time and bear much if not all of the expense of their travels, though the ACS offers some reimbursement for mileage if the volunteer desires.

The Road to Recovery service is entirely free to patients who need help for any number of reasons. Some have no family in the area who can take them; others are too old or physically unable to get around. One was blind. Another literally didn't have cash to fill the tank with gas for multiple trips. In some cases, the patient doesn't know his or her way around the area, as during a recent hurricane when South Texas patients were forced to seek shelter in East Texas.

"We have all driven as far away as Jefferson, Marshall, Gladewater and Gilmer to take patients to treatments and back home," Wallace said.

Jerry Camp also serves on the Gregg County ACS board of directors, as well as the Relay for Life board of directors, and that's how he and his wife became involved with the Road to Recovery program.

"We just wanted to help people get to treatments so that maybe they can be cured," Ruth Ann Camp said.

Volunteers can choose how often they want to give their time and, in the case of the four Kilgore drivers, if they volunteer and something comes up they call each other to fill in for that particular trip.

Cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatments often go to the clinic or the doctor's office every day for weeks, so drivers can get to know their patients well in a short period of time.

"The people are always so kind and appreciative, and I just think, 'What if there wasn't anybody to take them to the doctor or to their treatments, what would happen?' So I wouldn't want that to happen to me," Mrs. Camp said.

Wallace agreed, saying, "It's very rewarding to see the appreciation people have."

Even before Linda Sartor completely retired from teaching after 30-plus years, she started driving with the Road to Recovery program. Both she and her husband are on the ACS Gregg South board of directors, and she volunteered when she became aware of the desperate need for drivers.

"I think it's a wonderful program and I really enjoy doing that when it fits into my schedule," Sartor said. "These people are just precious and most of them are so appreciative."

Would-be drivers must undergo training after their driving records are screened. Sartor explained that training involves watching a video about good driving practices, as well as what to do in various situations.

Wallace explained they are trained regarding "what to watch for and stay away from; what to say and not say; and how to contact the patient," among other topics.

"Basically, the ACS encourages you to be a good listener for those patients and not to give your own advice because they have their own doctors they need to listen to," Sartor said. The training, which was done locally, takes only a couple of hours.

So what do the volunteers do while they're waiting?

If their rider has a long appointment, they might run errands. For shorter appointments, Sartor and Camp can often be found in waiting rooms with their knitting.

"Both of us are involved in a prayer shawl ministry at First Presbyterian Church in Kilgore, so Ruth Ann and I sit and we knit," Sartor said.

All of them agree that the free service is much needed, but it wouldn't be possible if it weren't for fundraising — and locally that means the Relay for Life.

"The American Cancer Society puts a lot money into research to try to eliminate this disease, but the money we raise also goes to programs like the Road to Recovery," Wallace said, adding the ACS is "a good organization that spends its money wisely."

Patients who need a ride to and from treatment or anyone who wishes to donate or volunteer their time should call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org for more information.

Editor's Note: One of Claud Wallace's jobs on the ACS board is fundraising and he's looking for contributors of $1,000 to $10,000 to help underwrite the April 2009 Relay for Life in Kilgore (though he will gladly accept all contributions, large and small). For more information about sponsorships and underwriting, contact Wallace at 903-983-2834 or 981-3895.