Tour of the Pediatric Oncology clinic

Since rejoining TNT, I've been struggling with the fundraising side of the coin. In our fundraising guides, we are provided with the buzz words - advocacy, educational opportunities, patient services, research, clinical trials and on and on. We speak these works, we ask you,our friends, coworkers, and family to give your dollars in support of these words but what exactly do they MEAN.

So, I've embarked on a quest to learn about these words. I contacted ASK - a non profit organization whose mission has remained the same: Making Life Better for Children with Cancer - to inquire about volunteering in the clinic. ASK provides funding for the pediatric oncology clinic at MCV so the proximity to my office is perfect.

Even though my fundraising efforts directly support, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, their mission and focus is the same as ASK. So over the next few months, I'll be able to learn and experience just what those words - advocacy, educational opportunities, patient services, research, clinical trials - mean.

Today I toured the pediatric oncology clinic and spoke with educational specialist and boy was I surprised. The clinic is bright and colorful but what surprised me is the size. It is extremely small and they (the staff, the patients, the parents) are all on top of one another. But despite that challenge, everyone was extremely friendly.

Katie, the educational specialist, is a jack of all trades. She is the gopher,the volunteer coordinator, the child entertainer, and the spokesperson for ASK. During the brief time I spent with her, it was obvious how much she enjoys her job and working with kids and ASK. What a special person.

There were several kids receiving treatments and most were playing on the computer. Katie indicated my job as a volunteer will be to keep them entertained. Me vs. the computer. Hm. The computer will probably win but we'll see how it goes!