CULLMAN, Ala. – The official rollout event for the Cullman Survivor Society was held Saturday at Goat Island Brewing. The new group hopes to provide support and make known available resources to individuals and families facing cancer and other illnesses. Pam Whitt and Juanita Pajao organized the event, which included entertainment, games and activities, door prizes and lots of information.
Whitt credits her lifelong friend Pajao for “planting the seed” for the new group.
“We are going to do certain things for survivors, and caretakers- they get exhausted just like everybody else,” said Whitt. “We also have people who are currently taking treatment. We have people that can’t go get treatment because they don’t have transportation. The thought behind today was to offer information and offer resources, and hopefully we will be able to help.”
Whitt works with local veterans nonprofit Saving Forgotten Warriors, which has a large passenger van.
“We can take people to Birmingham for treatments,” she said. “We can take them to get a wig. You can actually get a free wig through the cancer society, but people don’t know that. We offered not to put cancer in our title because we are surviving all sorts of things these days. We’re not going to discriminate. If we can help just one person then we’ve had a good day.”
Cleaning services, transportation and make-overs are just a few of the resources available that many patients and caregivers might not realize exist, according to Whitt and Pajao.
Pajao was first diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2011.
“I had a procedure scheduled and I had it done and Dr. (John) Wideman came in and asked, ‘Who is your OB-GYN?’” Pajao said.
Pajao didn’t have one, so Wideman became her OB-GYN that day. He had seen some small cysts and tumors on her ovaries.
Pajao learned that she had cancer. She was sent to UAB where she met Dr. Warren Huh, whom she described as “wonderful.” She received treatment for two years and was finally able to ring the bell.
“You instantly feel, ‘Oh no!’” said Pajao. “These people, especially down there (UAB), they become more your family really during that time. They just love you so much. It was scary to ring that bell.”
Pajao was assigned a palliative care team that offered ongoing support throughout and following her treatment.
Last year, her cancer returned. She said she noticed something UAB had that she feels is missing in Cullman.
“At UAB, different businesses have really taken responsibility for the cancer community,” she said. “You wouldn’t believe the businesses and the things they do. It’s unreal. There’s a huge cancer population in Cullman County. If for no other reason than for marketing, businesses would be behooved to be known to help this group. I don’t think anyone has really worked the cancer thing here.”
Whitt and Pajao hope the business community will reach out to help those in Cullman battling cancer, dementia and other illnesses.
For more information about the Cullman Survivor Society, visit www.facebook.com/Cullman-Survivor-Society-101261447944986 or email css@yahoo.com.
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