In tough times, cancer patients find independence and comfort with the help of Periwinkle Club
Generally persons diagnosed with a life threatening illness require much love and support from family and friends, sometimes they even require professional help for the emotional and psychological strain bought on by their condition. That’s where Donna’s Room at the Periwinkle Club comes in.
Donna’s Room is a place of solace for cancer patients and survivors. It is a place where persons can receive counselling, comfort and relaxation.
A collaborative effort between Periwinkle Club and the Association of Guyanese Nurses and Allied Professional (AGNAP), Donna’s Room was established at the behest of the late Donna Sage to provide counselling and complementary therapy to cancer patients, their caretakers and family.
While living in London, Donna received treatment for breast cancer and was impressed by the support and medical attention offered, as a result she wanted similar treatment provided in Guyana.
Donna’s mother, Norma Sage, upon losing her daughter to cancer, fulfilled Donna’s wish by approaching AGNAP to build Donna’s Room in 2009 in a vacant office at the Periwinkle Club.
After benefitting from the support and counselling services in the UK, Donna’s mother also approached AGNAP to help establish a similar service in Guyana.
Donna willed money to the club to transform the vacant office into a counselling room and to make it as comfortable as possible.
Donna’s Room is a cosy room found on the second floor of the Periwinkle Club. It is furnished with a sofa set, a Berbice chair, a television, a carpet and coffee table.
The Periwinkle Club continues to receive support from AGNAP on an annual basis, which enables them to do more, such as training for nurses, counselling and education in cancer prevention and outreach palliative care.
Periwinkle Club
Periwinkle Club, located at 148C Alberttown, Georgetown, is a cancer support group focused on raising awareness on the disease among cancer survivors and members of the public, and offering advice on coping with it.
The club collaborates with several local and international organisations to provide cancer survivors with support for diagnosis and treatment as well as for nutritional and emotional wellbeing. It also provides counselling services in Donna’s Room and facilitates breast self-examination and cervical cancer screening for interested groups of persons.
The Periwinkle Club was first introduced on October 17, 2006 as a women’s forum for breast and cervical cancer survivors and persons with an interest in supporting cancer patients, to meet and freely discuss their health and related experiences. After about five months of meeting and interacting quietly, it was decided to present the club to the wider community.
Educational material is available at the Periwinkle Club headquarters in the form of pamphlets on various types of cancer in particular breast and cervical cancer.
Members of the club are willing to facilitate talks on cancer to organisations to help to share information on the disease and provide prevention and other relevant tips.
From time to time, various professional persons make presentations at the Periwinkle Cancer Club. Also, there are reference library facilities at the Periwinkle Club headquarters for researchers and persons who wish to enhance their knowledge of cancer. These books, periodicals and magazines, have been primarily kindly donated by AGNAP.
The club also collaborates with the Ministry of Public Health in outreach sessions to assist persons who wish advice and testing.
One of its initial activities for Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) is a church service at the Livingstone Church of God in South Ruimveldt today from 8am to 10:30am.
Feel free to contact Periwinkle Club on (592) 226-7152 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 10am and 2pm for assistance. Check out www.periwinklecancerclub.org or Periwinkle Cancer Club on Facebook for more info.
The club welcomes, as members, all persons interested in working to get rid of the stigma of cancer and create equality of treatment for cancer patients in Guyana.
