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^ B 2 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, June 16, 1999 Wellspring House gave support for three-time cancer survivor Photo by Peter McCusker Wellspring volunteers Joan Etheridge and Liz Thomson. By Wilma Blokhuis BEAVER FOCUS EDITOR A Coach House in downtown Toronto is a calm oasis for people affected by cancer. One patient describes the little white house, at 81 Wellesley St., as "a spring of wellness." Cancer patients seek solace and find support at this place called Wellspring. One of them is Joan Etheridge of Oakville. She has survived cancer three times, twice in the breast and once in the lung. "When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1986, there was no place like Wellspring," says Etheridge. She is pleased to see that Wellspring is coming to Oakville, a project headed by Mayor Ann Mulvale. They mayor has made it her 50th birthday project, and will officially announce the building of a centre in Oakville at a sold-out fundraising dinner tonight at the Le Dome Banquet Hall. "In 1993 I had a reoccurrence (of the breast cancer), and was get­ ting radiation treatments at the old Princess Margaret Hospital, which was half a block away from Wellspring. So, while waiting for my appointment, or my ride back home (local Canadian Cancer Society volunteer drivers took groups of patients into the city for their appointments), I would go to Wellspring and just sit quietly, eat my lunch, or read a book. "I didn't participate in anything at the time, but I found just being there was a very restful. It feels like there is a healing atmosphere that surrounds you." Etheridge became a member of Wellspring, after she was invited to its Christmas party. As a member, she joined a five-week support group with four others. Then she was asked to become a volunteer leader, and is currently a co-leader with the one-on-one peer support program. The other leader is a pro­ fessional working in the cancer field. In an 11-minute promotional video produced for Wellspring, Etheridge said the centre has helped her recover from her last two bouts of cancer. "You reach a point when you want to give some­ thing back, and in the process of giving back I receive. After help­ ing somebody for an hour, I feel good." She also explains on the video how Wellspring's "psycho­ social counselling helps the whole person." Most of all, says Etheridge, "we do a lot of listening." Her third cancer was discov­ ered during a routine check after breaking her ankle shortly after leaving Oakville for a year-long sailing vacation, in the fall of 1997. A chest X-ray discovered a lump which resulted in the removal of part of her right lung. Her holiday cut short, Etheridge is grateful for the early detection of the return of her cancer. Following her lung surgery, she joined an art therapy group where New, higher rates. Ontario isn't just another pretty place, it also has a fantastic profit sharing program. 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ONTARIO SAVINGS B O N D S Invest In Som ething Yon Believe In 1st year STE P- UP BOND 4.75% R ve-year term , redeemable every six months 6-m onth VARIABLE-RATE BOND 5.00% Seven-year term , ra te reset every six months and redeemable every six months 2nd year 5.00% 3rd year 4th year 5th year 5.50% 6.00% 6.25% 3-year FIXED-RATE BOND 5.50% Three-year term , redeemable a t maturity Available from May 28 to June 18. For Inquiries: 1-888-212-BOND (2663) www.ofina.on.ca/OSB participants were asked to "paint whatever we felt like," and discuss and interpret her work. Wellspring calls this an "expressive therapy" group for people looking for other ways of dealing with the emotional side of having can­ cer than just talking about it. They are also encouraged to talk in a one-on-one peer support program, co-led by cancer survivors trained by a professional psychologist. "People talk openly about having the disease, especially for the recently diagnosed, who are terrified," said Etheridge. "Many people think having cancer is a death sentence, and they need reas­ surance that it isn't. I tell them I was first diagnosed 13 years ago, and twice diag­ nosed since, and I'm still around. When I tell them this I can see the hope in their faces, and this is great. It's very rewarding. When you give hope to somebody else, you are also sharing in that hope yourself." Oakville resident Liz Thomson has been a front desk volunteer since Wellspring opened in Toronto and is a member of the committee working to build a new Wellspring cen­ tre in Oakville. "I have lost several fami­ ly members and friends to cancer," she says. "We could have benefited from Wellspring, but we didn't have it." Thomson remembers when Etheridge first came to Wellspring following her second bout with breast can­ cer. The two women gradual­ ly got to know each other and have become friends. Working in reception, Thomson says "I put on a happy face because I'm the first person they're going to see. I put them at ease and offer them a cut of tea or coffee, and offer them sup­ port." Cancer is "stressful," con­ tinues Etheridge. "There are weeks of tests and the treat­ ments can be rough.- It is also rough for the person who is taking care of you - the med­ ical profession is not too con­ cerned about the caregivers because they don't have can­ cer. We support people living with cancer, and their fami­ lies and caregivers." It was Thomson who first called Mulvale seeking sup­ port to open Wellspring in Oakville, hoping to establish a centre close to Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga, which has an oncology unit. Mulvale, who lost her hus­ band Peter to brain cancer in February 1995, has taken the project to heart. "After I called Ann in November 1998, everything seemed to happen so quickly I couldn't believe it," says Thomson. "She was very interested and supportive." Both Thomson and Etheridge will be volunteer­ ing at the new Oakville cen­ tre. Thomson will organize the front desk volunteers, while Etheridge will be charge of peer support, and help with organizing some of the other programs. Wellspring offers a variety of programs including yoga, therapeutic touch, journaling, a group for children who have a parent with cancer, massage therapy, creative movement, art therapy, and relaxation therapies, among others. "The journaling is more than just keeping a diary of your feelings," explains Etheridge. "It's an exercise in finding new way to express your feelings, and being more creative. For example, partic­ ipants may be asked to write a paragraph expressing their feelings about a painting on the wall , and it's amazing what comes out on a really deep emotional level." Wellspring receives no government funding, and is sustained by its corporate, private and service club dona­ tions, fundraising events and in memoriam gifts. All of its services are provided at no charge, and no referral is required. Wellspring was founded in 1991 by Anne Armstrong Gibson, a cancer patient seek­ ing answers to the emotional effects of the disease. She died in 1995. For information, call Wellspring at 416-961-1928, or visit its web site at: www.wellspring.ca r Sum m er; Voted Burhn? Area's . Bridal Shop OVER 200 GOWNS 0 0 \ to/ y j of? fr,m$9 9 V illage 'W edding 'B ettes 331 D undas S t E (Hwy 5) W aterdow n (905) 689-3150 (Only 20 minutes from Oakville) T T Hwy. #5 (Dundas St.)IS IS IlilAI Bran t S t. Gu elp h Lin e Hwy. 403 ARTHRITIS^^^ Halton Healthcare S O C IE T Y ^ r 5 • E c • E • s Csrtng *>day. Ormving fo r Tbmorrmr O s te o a rth ritis S e m in a r a free seminar featuring: Dr. Tim Deakon, Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr. Elaine Soucy, Rheumatologist Irene Rand, Physiotherapist Wednesday, June 23, 1999 Ramada Inn and Convention Centre-Oakville 6:30 p.m. Displays, Refreshments 7:00 p.m. Program Please call to reserve a seat: 338-4379 Made possible through a educational grant from: ZIMMER OF CANADA LTD. SEARLE CANADA PROMOTIONAL EXPENSES SPONSORED BY HALTON PHARMACY PRESENTED BY THE ARTHRITIS SOCIETY HALTON HEALTHCARE SERVICES http://www.ofina.on.ca/OSB http://www.wellspring.ca