A lifelong commitment to driving cancer patients to appointments
Patricia Golemme’s lifelong commitment to volunteering with the American Cancer Society started in 1986, when two volunteers soliciting donations came into her small gift shop in Milford, Massachusetts. By the time they left her store, she had agreed to join their board.
At the time, the American Cancer Society was piloting a program called Road to Recovery, which provided cancer patients with rides to their medical appointments.
“They asked me if I wanted to try this new program, so I said sure,” she said. “I had the time and I fell in love with it.”
When she moved to the Cape around 30 years ago, Golemme joined forces with a couple of volunteers who were coordinating the trips on the Cape. The area became too large for them, so Golemme split the job of coordinating the rides with them. They took care of patients on the Lower Cape and she took over the Upper Cape. She also served as a driver and eventually agreed to coordinate rides for the entire Cape.
“It just became my passion,” she said. “I only knew to work because I wasn’t married and I didn’t have children. So, whatever I did, I treated it as a job. It really gave me a reason to get up in the morning. I loved every minute of it.”
Helps Cape Cod Patients
The Cape Cod Hospital Cancer Center works closely with patients to identify and secure transportation to appointments, said Katherine Michaud, executive director of cancer services for Cape Cod Healthcare. There has been a large increase in transportation needs over the past year, she said, and the program needs more drivers.
“We greatly appreciate the Road to Recovery program and hope that there are more folks on cape who might be able to become a volunteer driver,” she said.
The American Cancer Society is always looking for Road to Recovery volunteer drivers. Anyone interested in volunteering can sign up here.
Support and Companionship
The Cape’s unique population includes many retirees whose children and other family members don’t live close by, so the need for ride services is great. In the summer months, Road to Recovery can easily provide 200 rides a month. During the years Golemme worked as the ride coordinator, the program had about 65 volunteers.
In addition to providing rides, the program also provides support and companionship at what can be a very scary time in people’s lives.
“So many people were sad when their treatment ended because they made friendships with their drivers, often times having the same driver on the same day,” Golemme said. “It was a welcome distraction for them and they didn’t always have to talk about what they were going through. It was a good experience for them.”
In addition to Road for Recovery, Golemme fell in love with the American Cancer Society.
“I participated in everything they did, from Relay For Life to Making Strides to Daffodil Days. I was part of their anti-smoking campaign. Whatever they were doing, I would do. To this day, I’m still very involved with their Boston Hope Lodge. It’s a beautiful facility. Anyone who lives at least 40 miles or more away and needs a place to stay while undergoing treatment in the Boston area can get free housing.”
In recent years, the American Cancer Society has gone fully automated, so all of the ride coordination occurs online through a program called Round Trip that helps connect cancer patients with drivers.
Now that Golemme is 75 years old, she is a “snowbird” who spends the winter in Florida. But when she comes back to the Cape, she goes online to Round Trip to sign up to be a driver.
