Governor Doug Ducey has proclaimed November 16 – 23, 2019 as Cancer Caregivers Awareness Week in Arizona.
November is National Caregivers Month in the United States. It is a month to reflect on the important, and often thankless, role of those who treat and care for the sick and needy of this country. Oftentimes, those that need the most care are stricken with devastating diseases, such as cancer. With that in mind, Governor Doug Ducey has worked with the Arizona Myeloma Network and their Cancer Caregivers AZ Education program to declare the week of November 16th-23rd as “Cancer Caregivers Week” in Arizona.
In addition to her role as Founder of the Arizona Myeloma Network, Barbara is an established author who is currently in the process of publishing her next book, “Living with Cancer, a CareGivers Journey®”. It is a Patient & Family Guide providing information and resources to help the reader navigate the confusing and often scary cancer system. She is also a caregiver herself. Her husband Jack is a 28-year cancer survivor.
“I have often said that an individual doesn’t get cancer, a family does,” said Arizona Myeloma Network founder Barbara Kavanagh. “For the last 15 years, our organization has proudly served as a resource for those loved ones who can become overwhelmed by their newfound role as caregiver. We are very thankful for the support from Governor Ducey and hope to use this week as an opportunity to broaden our reach throughout Arizona and help more patients and their families.”
Caregiving is often a full-time job, with statistics showing that family caregivers spend an average of 40.5 hours per week caring for their loved one. Statistics also show that for every cancer diagnosis, there will be at least one new caregiver to care for that patient. With close to 40,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed in Arizona each year, that means that there are at least 40,000 new Arizona caregivers each year who sometimes need help in planning, coordinating, and treating their patient.
Please visit www.azmyelomanetwork.org for more information on events, seminars, and
workshops offered by the Arizona Myeloma Network’s Cancer Caregivers Program, including
their “Strike Out Cancer’ Benefit on Tuesday night, December 17th, at the Millennium Hotel in
partnership with the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation.
Honoring Cancer Caregivers
December 17th
‘Strike Out Cancer’, Tuesday night, December 17th at the Millennium Hotel 6-8:30 pm. AzMN’s Benefit to Honor and Celebrate Cancer Patients and Caregivers.
Source: https://azmyelomanetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/proclamation-press-release.pdf