Giving and gaining
Martie Carnie, a 14-year breast cancer survivor, has turned her patient advocacy interest into a 25-hour-a-week passion. That's how much time she spends, on average, serving on the Adult Patient and Family Advisory Council, lending an ear through One-to-One, and visiting breast surgery patients at BWH to deliver support and gift bags from the Friends Boutique at Dana-Farber.
Like many patients and relatives playing roles at the Institute, Carnie feels she both gives and gains. She shares her knowledge to help enhance the cancer center's operations; in exchange, she has developed strong bonds, learned a lot, and had the chance to make a difference. "It has given me a greater sense of purpose," the Milton, Mass., resident reflects. "I could be 'doing lunch' or shopping, but there's reason'm here. This fulfills as person."
Working to improve care at Dana-Farber are Adult Patient and Family Advisory Council members (left to right) Martie Carnie, Henry King, and Nancy Lev.
Another individual seeking to give back is Gary Jernegan, who donates platelets regularly in the Kraft Family Blood Donor Center at DFCI in addition to his work with the pediatric advisory council.
"People on the council are here for one reason only: to help as much as we can," Jernegan observes. "When my daughter, Kassie, was diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, it felt like an automatic death sentence. I found myself grieving for the loss of her normal childhood. But she got through it and did miraculously well.
"Serving on the council," he adds, "lets me pay back what I feel I owe for my daughter's care."
