NewsWest 9
MIDLAND/ODESSA - Volunteers with the American Cancer Society drive cancer patients to and from their chemo and radiation treatments when they can't get there themselves. And now they're asking for your help to get them there. NewsWest 9 spoke with one patient who said she couldn't have finished treatment without it.
"God bless the American Cancer Society," Tammie Guerrero said. "They're good people. Very supportive."
Guerrero is a mother and a grandmother. She's also a cancer survivor.
So when she was diagnosed with cancer for the second time, she and her family were finding it difficult to adjust to her treatment schedule especially since Tammie doesn't drive.
"My kids were having to take off work," Guerrero said. "And that's a burden on me because I don't want to be a burden to my kids."
"It's very hard to dictate to your doctor what your schedule is like and have them work with you," Tammie's daughter, Melissa Lopez, said.
But with the help of the American Cancer Society's "Road to Recovery" program, Tammie's burden was lifted.
She says something as small as a car ride made all the difference.
"You have these appointments that you have to go to. And you want to get better and yet you feel like, you know, you're miserable because of the treatments you're going through," Guerrero said. "So it's nice to know that there's someone out there who cares."
Amy Carnes with the American Cancer Society says when a patient can't get to their appointments, many times their treatment is delayed.
"These patients would otherwise be sitting at home with no way to get to their treatment," Carnes said. "The more drivers we have the better."
Tammie and Melissa say without the drivers, Tammie's road to recovery would've been a longer one, and Melissa says it's nice to know people still care.
"There's still good people out there that are willing to help perfect strangers and to take time out of their day and use their gas,"she said.
"They are just saving their lives otherwise they wouldn't be receiving treatment at all," Carnes said.
Tammie's second battle with the disease is now in full remission and she hopes more people out there will help save lives, one ride at a time.
