For two years, Lisa Mongell drove Linda Ruth Brennan Thode, who was diagnosed with brain cancer, to Emory University Hospital for Thode’s cancer treatments. The women’s daughters became friends in high school, but after the diagnosis and Mongell’s helping hand, the two women became the dearest of friends. “After we found out about her diagnosis, I offered to help in any way I could,” said Mongell, who lives in John’s Creek. “The biggest help [the Thodes] needed was transportation since they lived in Woodstock and she was being treated in Decatur.”
The cancer was untreatable and Thode died in 2009. leaving Mongell was heartbroken, but she was left with a desire to help others. Through the local paper, Mongell found Road to Recovery, a program in place by the American Cancer Society that provides transportation for people who have cancer and do not have a ride or are unable to drive themselves. “I called right away since I had already been doing that for [Thode], and I thought it was a great way to keep giving back,” Mongell said, who has been volunteering with Road To Recovery for two years.
The three-year-old program is expanding in Metro Atlanta and has footing in DeKalb and Fulton counties. “We receive several requests daily, and unfortunately are unable to fulfill all because our need for drivers is great,” said American Cancer Society’s Transportation Solutions Manager Kimbra Butler. “At the same time, many families and cancer patients don’t know such a service exists and we want to make sure our patients to get the care they need.”
The program, which has helped more than 100 patients since September, is supported entirely by volunteers, so drivers are able to build their own volunteering schedule according to their availability. “Our volunteers do not just volunteer their time, but they volunteer gas [money], vehicles, phone numbers and support. I truly believe I have the best volunteers in the world!”
For information on Road To Recovery, contact Kimbra Butler at kimbra.butler@cancer.org
In Other News: The Atlanta Bar Association performed its Ninth Annual "A Courthouse Line IX: Law School Musical" from May 19- 21 at the 14th Street Playhouse in Midtown Atlanta. The single-largest fundraiser raised more than $30,000 for the Atlanta Bar Foundation, the philanthropic arm that serves youth and funding for legal services for the poor among other charitable work.
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Lisa Mongell, of John's Creek, volunteers with Road To Recovery, a program sponsored by American Cancer Society that provides transportation to cancer patients who do not have a ride or are unable to drive themselves to their treatments. The program helped over 100 patients since last September. Devika Rao, doing.goodajc@gmail.com
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