Ginny Hutcheson
Cancer patients that live in Sahuarita do not get free rides to cancer treatments from the Green Valley services that are available to all Green Valley residents (Friends in Deed, etc.). When a cancer patient is ill and unable to find a ride for treatments the continuity of treatment is broken and appointments are cancelled.
Terrie O’Dierno is the Quail Creek American Cancer Society Road to Recovery coordinator who contacts the local certified drivers for rides. Currently there are only three or four American Cancer Society certified drivers available for Sahuarita patients and five available for Tucson patients. On days that no one is available to drive, the patient often has to cancel an important treatment. More drivers are needed to cover the requests for rides. More drivers would make it easier so one driver would not have to drive the same patient as often as two and three times a week. There is a dire need for more certified trained drivers to share this service.
To become a certified, trained driver for the Road to Recovery program, contact the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 or cancer.org. The new driver needs to be able to participate in an online certification process. Drivers may drive as often as they want and are very appreciated by the cancer patients receiving this service. This is a lifesaving service and very gratifying.
For more information about the Road to Recovery program contact Terrie O’Dierno at 648-7192 or [email protected] or Ginny Hutcheson at 906-0930.