Some new chairs are helping ease the comfort of patients receiving cancer treatment at Cariboo Memorial Hospital.
Made possible with a $35,000 donation by Hough Memorial Cancer Society in Williams Lake, the four chairs mark the society's final donation before it dissolves after 50 years of service.
Several Hough members gathered at CMH recently to see the new chairs for themselves and acknowledge the more than $3 million they've raised since 1972 for cancer-detecting equipment at the hospital.
Audrey Hyde, a society member since 1996, said seeing the society’s final donation was “bittersweet.”
Retired doctor and long-time society member Dr. Noel Donnelly said raising money for cancer detecting equipment has been a good cause over the years. “Sadly, we’re all just too old to keep it going.”
Looking at the new chairs, Hough president Mary Telfer said she thought the the donation was wonderful and she was glad the society was able to raise the money from the community to make the purchase.
Tina Pole, clinical operations manager for ambulatory care/oncology, maternity and outpatient cardiology at the hospital, said oncology treatments are available two days a week and on an additional day oncology patients meet with the GP oncologist to have their assessments done. The oncologist goes over patients’ blood work to determine whether or not they can have their treatment done that week.
“The following two days are when we do the treatment and we are starting to spill over a third day of treatments now, which is Fridays.”
She described the oncology department as “busy,” adding the number of oncology patients continues to rise. In the hospital redevelopment project presently underway, the capacity to service those patients will also expand. Presently there are five oncology patient chairs - in the rebuilt hospital there will be nine.
When patients are receiving oncology or chemo treatments hospital staff tries not to bring other patients into the department on those days.
“If people are needing IV infusions for iron or for their Crohn’s disease or whatever then we try to book them other days,” Pole said. “We try not to overlap chemo patients with other patients.”
People receiving chemotherapy are immunocompromised so having an extra four chairs in the new build is going to be a great addition, she explained, noting patients can be in those chairs having treatment from four to six hours.
“It’s a long time to be sitting in chairs.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, new chairs were purchased but since then had worn down. So, when Hough Memorial asked Pole what the department needed for cancer patients specifically, she told them they could really use some new chairs.
There was one sit-to-stand chair recliner chair that was not a medical grade and it had rips and tears in it.
“All the patients said it was the most comfortable chair. We kept putting waterproof tape over it, trying to make it last longer,” Pole said.
Pole said she requested features for the chairs such as additional pillows, wider backs, a continuous foot-rest so there is no hole in the middle to make them more comfortable, plus a small table for patients to place drinks and cell phones.
“We also had sample swatches for colours and patients voted on the colours they wanted - that was really fun,” Pole said. “A lot of the patients were excited and were asking when the new chairs were coming.”
It took time for the chairs to arrive, but the wait was worth it, she added, noting fifth chair, a sit-to-stand model, was purchased by the hospital auxiliary as well.
The society members said they wanted to thank the community for their donations over the years and encouraged residents to keep on donating their time and funds to cancer detecting equipment, which will now happen through the Cariboo Memorial Hospital Foundation.
Pole said just before she came into the position on March 21, 2023, Hough purchased a colposcope, used to help diagnose and prevent cervical cancer.
“They do a lot of great things for our hospital and we were sad to hear they were closing their business, but with them handing it over to the foundation that work will continue."
A new plaque hangs on the wall near the chairs honouring local resident Colleen Dargatz who was a cancer patient that died and donated a portion of the proceeds from the sale of her house to the society.
Pole, whose maiden name was Zimmer, was born and raised in Williams Lake and did her clinical practicum at the hospital in 1996 with Diane Bonnell.
“I have a lot of ties in the community," she said.
With files from Interior Health
