A haven for the lonely and sick

By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express

Cancer.

It’s not a word anyone wants to hear come out of their doctor’s mouth, yet last year an estimated 97,700 men and 93,600 women in Canada heard that word.

According to Andrea Shaw, executive director at Hearth Place Cancer Support Centre in Oshawa, people don’t hear much after that word comes out of their doctor’s mouth, and the disease inside them personifies itself into their life.

“Cancer, by definition, is a cell growing out of control and so people, they really feel like the rug has been pulled out from under them. Life has gone into total chaos and out of their control,” she says.

And that’s where Hearth Place comes in.

The safe haven

Hearth Place, located at 86 Colborne St. W, is the brainchild of Carolyn Alexander, a local woman diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer who found benefits in being around others experiencing the disease.

“She very quickly came to understand the power and empowerment of people who have a bone-deep living experience of the disease,” Shaw says.

Opening its doors in 1997, Hearth Place has been growing steadily, including a large expansion courtesy of the Durham Regional Home Builder’s Association in 2005.

With a plethora of programs covering wellness, different therapies and a support group for a variety of different cancers, the centre looks to be a safe haven for those with the disease.

Filled with warm light and a fireplace in every room – living up to the centre’s name – Shaw says the centre is meant to feel like a second home.

“Our premise is we want to be a companion for people on their journey, so we want the home to feel like they’re walking into a friend’s home,” she says.

On the same level

Along with offering music therapy, exercise programs, relaxation techniques such as touch therapy and massage, and programs for children both affected by cancer and dealing with the disease in their family, a large part of Hearth Place programming is the support groups.

“There’s a comfort in being with people who are on the same level. You’re coming in with the common denominator,” Shaw says.

And Shaw says the groups are rarely a somber affair. The talks may be hard for some, but the emphasis is centered elsewhere.

“The emphasis is all about, ‘Here’s where I’m at today. How can I live my best life today and going forward,’” she says.

“Nothing is somber. Sometimes, there is very heavy discussions, but people are so willing to be vulnerable and willing to share and problem solve and there isn’t anybody here who doesn’t want to live.”

A recurring problem for many cancer sufferers – approximately 75 per cent – is cognitive changes, or brain fog.

“They think they’re going crazy because they can’t think in the same way. They can accomplish the same tasks, but it takes a whole lot more blood flow and it’s exhausting,” Shaw says.

Hearth Place has developed an eight-week course to help members deal with brain fog and deal with the cognitive changes.

“We want to be able to help people find that resilience, come from a strength base…and not have them be defined by the disease,” Shaw says.

Changing times

Currently, Hearth Place has approximately 2,300 members, with approximately 480 to 500 new people coming through the doors every year to use the programming, free of charge.

“We really wanted to ensure there would be no impediment to people coming in,” Shaw says.

The member base has changed since Shaw was the sole employee almost 18 years ago.

“Cancer used to be considered an old person’s disease and certainly, the incidents rise with age, but we’re finding…we’re just getting younger and younger people,” Shaw says.

And Hearth Place has adjusted its programming accordingly, introducing programming for teens, children and couples – all to help them deal with all aspects of the disease, whether they, or a family member, is suffering from it.

“We developed programming based on what people told us they needed,” Shaw says.

Almost every quarter, Shaw says Hearth Place introduces a new form of programming.

The job is not an easy one and Shaw, who also works as a grief councilor at Hearth Place, explains it is her passion, and could be in the office 24/7, but it weighs on her.

“There are times when I’m holding an awful lot of very deep emotion for people who are grieving a loved one, so if I have a number of those (appointments) in a day, at the end of the day it’s not my personal pain, but I’m holding a lot of pain,” she says.

For that reason, the staff at Hearth Place not only supports the members, but also themselves.

“We work a lot with each other to keep each other safe in the work that we do,” Shaw says.

Support

Fundraising initiatives are held throughout the year by the team at Hearth Place, relying on the money raised through these events, along with donations and grants to keep their programming running.

On April 18, Hearth Place will be hosting one of its biggest fundraising events of the year. The Aloha Affair and its tropical theme will include dinner, live and silent auctions, live music and more.

For information on the event and tickets, visit www.hearthplace.org/aloha.