CanCare Provides Personal Support to Cancer Patients, Loved Ones

To mark their one-year anniversary in Atlanta, CanCare is celebrating with an outdoor Jazz concert at Johns Creek Presbyterian Church, Saturday, May 11.  

"In Harmony for Cancer," will feature The Dan Baraszu Trio with vocalist Laura Coyle. The event will include food and a large silent auction with 100 percent of the proceeds benefitting CanCare, a non-profit cancer support organization that provides one-on-one personal support to cancer patients and their loved ones.   

Local three-time cancer survivor, Kay Royal, who utilized CanCare services while living in Houston, Texas, has been largely responsible for bringing CanCare to the local area.  

"I benefitted tremendously from my relationship with CanCare," said Royal. "They paired me with an inspirational cancer survivor whose compassion and understanding gave me a renewed sense of hope that I could conquer this life-threatening disease." 

As a young mother and wife, Royal endured extensive treatment including two stem-cell transplants and relied heavily on the emotional support CanCare was able to provide. 

After moving to Atlanta, Royal was saddened to discover that a friend experiencing a cancer recurrence could not find the same type of personalized support locally. Royal, believing that no one with cancer should have to suffer alone, met with her pastor, Rev. Neal Kuhlhorst, to share her concerns.  Together they approached CanCare leadership in Houston, Texas and were eventually joined by Dr. Stephen Szabo of Emory Johns Creek Hospital to explore the possibility of bringing these vital services to the Southeast.

Royal’s dream has become a reality. 

Over the past year, CanCare has trained dozens of cancer survivors and their family members to help patients cope with a cancer diagnosis, give support during treatment, and enable patients and family members to move forward with hope.

Throughout the past year, CanCare has trained local volunteers to provide support to over 50 recently diagnosed cancer patients and their families. All CanCare services are confidential and provided without charge.

The next CanCare volunteer training session will be held on August 23-25 at Emory Johns Creek Hospital. With an estimated 330,000 cancer survivors in Georgia, Royal believes becoming a CanCare volunteer is an extremely rewarding way to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients, their families, and our community. To learn more about how to enroll in the upcoming training session or for more information on CanCare, contact Neal Kuhlhorst at 678-467-4909.

Ticket information for this weekend's concert event can be found online.