HEROC donates 100 PPE kits to Guyana
By Tangerine Clarke
The coronavirus has put a
stop to life, as we know it due to
the ongoing pandemic that has
limited services, and changed
the dynamics of Breast Cancer
Awareness month, void of
Making Strides Against Breast
Cancer walk, run events.
But, as the month comes
to an end, patients are staying
hopeful that follow-up-care,
and treatment will be done in
a safe and expeditious way, to
save lives.
Guyanese-American, Lorna
Welshman-Neblett, founder
and president of Health &
Education Relief Organization
for Cancer Inc. (HEROC), who
has led a team of volunteers
on Cancer walks, and mission
trips to Guyana for the last four
years, continued the group’s
advocacy, by sending funds to
assemble 100 care packages to
be donated to survivors in Guyana,
through the Giving Hope
Foundation.
Instead of it’s planned Cancer
Mission 2020, cancelled due
to COVID-19, HEROC donated,
Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE) kits, to ‘Thrivers
and Survivors’. Items included
sanitizer, antibacterial soap,
sanitizer wipes, gloves, masks
and hand bands.
Member in Georgetown,
Gem Fraser, and volunteer Janice
Parsad joined Ms. Norma
Daniels, to deliver the care
packages at the benevolent
effort that Neblett applauded,
as a job well done, and thanked,
Norma, who provided photography
Caribbean L 8 ife, Oct. 30-Nov. 5, 2020
services.
Neblett, who had outlined
a three to five-year plan for
HEROC that would have included
the organization’s fifth mission
this year, told Caribbean
Life, cancer survivors do not
require regular checkups.
“Survivors are the ones who
conquer this illness and may be
on meds unless there are indications
of new sightings,” said
the humanitarian, adding that
cancer patients only require
checkups probably every six
months.
“On the other hand, cancer
‘Thrivers’ have a protocol
that they must follow, and it
includes regular check-ups
and a series of various testing.
Some of them are on chemotherapy
Supporters of HEROC, joins President, Lorna Welshman-Neblett, third from left, in a 2018
Making Strides Breast Cancer Awareness Month walk on the Coney Island Boardwalk.
Photo by Tangerine Clarke
via daily doses of tablets.
Pet Scans, MRI’s and others
are compulsory tests and
in some cases, injections are
required every month.”
“There are no mammograms
while they are being treated.
They do have clinics and there
are specific entrances and exits
for these patients to enter the
oncology clinic.
“Due to COVID-19 restrictions,
only patients are allowed,
so they are dropped off and
picked up at the doorway. I
was extremely happy to see the
precautionary measures that
are being taken at the Hospital
Oncology Clinic so that
patients are not compromised,”
said Neblett.
She noted, to date, “we have
not lost any cancer patients
that we are aware of in the U.S.
We continue to provide protocols
to our cancer patients
both here and in Guyana to
secure their safety. However,
we recently lost a patient to the
dreaded cancer disease.
Masks
and social
distancing
are working!
WHAT’S
NEXT
IN THE COVID-19
FIGHT?
NOW, WE ALL NEED TO GET TESTED OFTEN,
even with no symptoms, to keep reducing the spread.
TO FIND FREE, EASY AND SAFE TESTING NEAR YOU:
VISIT NYC.GOV/COVIDTESTOR CALL 212-COVID-19
/COVIDTESTOR
