FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Welcome to this Fall 2017 edition of Remarkable. We have a mix of stories that will move you, make you smile, and inspire you to support the remarkable work our Riverside team members are doing every day in fulfilling our mission to care for others as we would care for those we love.

Three of our stories are about Cancer Care. You’ll be moved as Lori Vallat, alone, afraid, and facing breast cancer finds

hope and strength in the embracing love of her Riverside Cancer Care team. Andre Baines will warm your heart as the remarkable 11-year-old raises money “to help cure cancer.” And Lisa Gross Housely’s never-quit courage in her two-decade battle with breast cancer will surely inspire you.

Providing support and financial assistance to cancer patients in need of help is a Riverside priority. We are also committed to providing the best in medical care plus a full range of integrative services for those battling cancer right here at home. Your generous and ongoing support continues to be vital to our success. Together we are STRONGER THAN CANCER.

DOING HIS PART TO HELP CURE CANCER, PAGE 5

REMARKABLE SUPPORT OFFERS HOPE, PAGE 4

N E W S A N D S T O R I E S F R O M R I V E R S I D E F O U N D AT I O N

Remarkable

DebbieDebbie AtkinsonRiverside Foundation

N E W S A N D S T O R I E S F R O M R I V E R S I D E F O U N D AT I O N

Fall 2017

PAYING IT FORWARD TO OTHERS FACING BREAST CANCERPAGE 2

RIVERSIDE FOUNDATION | FALL 2017 2

Breast cancer victim’s final wish: help others battling this disease.

She was very bright, talented and dedicated to her work. Lisa Gross Housley graduated from Radford University and the University of Virginia (under a joint degree program) in 1985. She began her career as a medical tech-nologist at UVA specializing in lab research. Then, the course of her life changed abruptly in 1993 when she was diagnosed with a highly aggressive form of breast cancer.

Her younger brother and champion Glenn Gross recalled Lisa’s words the day she told the family. “She looked us in the eye and said, ‘Things look pretty bad, but I want you to know this disease will not beat me.’” Thus began Lisa’s 22-year battle with breast cancer; a battle that included a radical mas-tectomy of her right breast, a bone marrow trans-plant in 1994, treatment with every FDA approved

drug for breast cancer, and 22 recurrences of the disease.

Lisa’s health insurance would not cover the trans-plant. It was then her family, friends and three separate churches came together to raise money to

pay for the procedure. “There was no such thing as GoFundMe then,” Glenn said. “We did all kinds events, large and small, and raised $153,000 in five months.” The funds paid for the trans-plant and Lisa’s other medical expenses until her death in 2015.

“Lisa’s final wish was that any leftover money from donations raised for the transplant be used to ben-efit other breast cancer victims,” Glenn said. “With the help of Kirkwood Presbyterian Church, I found the Riverside Foundation, and decided it was the right organization to receive the remaining money. Lisa’s wishes were to help women battling breast cancer and I trust that will happen at Riverside.”

THE INDOMITABLE SPIRIT OF LISA GROSS HOUSLEY

Gifting Story

“Lisa’s wishes were to help

women battling breast cancer.”

Glenn Gross with his mother Mary Gross.

Read the full story at: riversideonline.com/foundation

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At Riverside Cancer Care, we are determined to provide a highly-individualized approach to care, providing special services at no cost to help our patients.  Our therapeutic and supportive services are made possible by the generosity of our donors - our team members and community members, just like you. 

Integrative Therapies like nutrition counseling, social work, message, music and pet therapy help decrease stress, pain and side effects during a cancer patient’s treatment. Coordinated Care through patient navigation, genetics counseling and research, patient assistance, cancer wellness, palliative care and hospice provides personalized guidance and support to our cancer patients and their families. Community Outreach including screenings for the uninsured, educational programs and support groups focus on cancer prevention and early detection.

Our goal is simple; to sustain and expand these beneficial services and programs. Every gift received, no matter the size, makes a difference for thousands of patients cared for each year.

Unlike many other cancer fundraising organizations, at

Riverside, 100 percent of all gifts directly support our mission – to care for others as we would care for those we love.

On June 8th, we hosted our third annual Online Day of Giv-ing and first ever ‘Stronger Than Cancer’ celebration event in Newport News City Center.

We raised $27,000.00, in one day, to support our patients. Stay tuned, we’ll have information about our 2018 events coming soon.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: RIVERSIDE CANCER CARE AS A GIFT DESTINATION

2017 ‘Stronger Than Cancer’ celebration event held at Newport News City Center.

Cancer has touched many of us one way or another. I am fortunate to have the privilege of witnessing great courage in many of my patients as they

face such adversity in fighting their personal battles against cancer.  As a physician leader, I am also honored to have the opportunity to bring more awareness to our special pa-tient-centered approach to cancer care. 

I want to say THANK YOU to all our Riv-erside Team Members and generous donors who have shared their gifts of time, talent and

treasure in support of Cancer Care this first half of the year. I especially want to thank our Leadership Volunteers for their commit-ment to help others understand the value that contributions have on our ability to provide the highest quality cancer care, right here at home. There are many ways you can help - Please let any one of us know if you are inter-ested in learning more! Call Crystal Gregory or Jennifer Frank at 757-234-8740.

Sincerely,Biral S. Amin, M.D., M.B.A.Oncology Service Line Chief

FROM OUR ONCOLOGY SERVICE LINE CHIEF

Cancer Care Leadership Volunteers

Wanda AustinJimmy BayneMark HannaRon MurrayJohn PhillipsConway SheildSteve Spain

C A N C E R C A R E C A M P A I G N

“They washed away my fears and gave me hope,” says cancer patient.

The garden outside the Riverside Cancer Care Center is a special place of solace for Lori Vallat. “The garden is beautiful, a place to relax and prepare. I come here about an hour before my treatment,” she said. Lori has breast cancer.

The Rhode Island native moved to Hampton last November after her mother passed away. Now living alone, with no job, no family and no insurance, she was about to face the greatest challenge of her life. She tried to dismiss the lump on her breast, passing it off as a cyst. “I had a real phobia about doctors,” Lori said.

When the growth became an open wound, she knew she had to do something. Finally, she went to Riverside Regional’s Emergency Room. The diagnosis: breast cancer. The ER nurse re-ferred her to the Cancer Care Center. “I’d heard Riverside was caring and welcoming,” she said.

“Even then, I could barely bring myself to seek treatment. But the wonderful caregivers at the Cancer Center helped wash my fears away.”

Lori’s poor general health needed attention before cancer treatment could begin. Financial support from Riverside donors covered the costs for the home health care and antibiotics necessary to move forward with treating her cancer. “The financial help was essential, Julie

Kilburn, Social Worker for Medi-cal Oncology said. “Thanks to the generous contributions of com-munity members who care about cancer, we’ve always received help through the Riverside Foundation when it was needed.”

Lori is about halfway through her treatment phase and says she’s emotionally ready for surgery. “The caregivers at Riverside are remarkable,” she said. “They changed my life and gave me hope for the future. I feel so lucky to have found Riverside and this loving group of people.”

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Patient Story

“I feel so lucky to have found this loving group of

people.”

LORI VALLAT IS GRATEFUL FOR COMPASSIONATE CAREGIVERS

Lori Vallat with Julie Kilburn (left), cancer care social worker and Lynn Stivers, RN, outpatient coordinator.

Read the full story at: riversideonline.com/foundation

RIVERSIDE FOUNDATION | FALL 2017 5

Eleven-year-old raises $750 to support Shore Cancer Center. Asia Baines was a little taken aback when her son, Andre, came into the house one day last Fall and asked this daunting question: “Mom, what can I do to help cure cancer?” At the time, Andre was a 5th grader at Kiptopeke Elementary School on the Eastern Shore. “I had to think about that for a while,” Mrs. Baines said. “Final-ly, I suggested we do a fundraising event for the [Riverside] Shore Cancer Center.”

A young man of few words and fast action, Andre jumped on the idea. “We decided to do a bake sale,” Mrs. Baines said. “Andre took charge of planning the event, greeting customers, taking in the money, and generally running things.” When asked if that was true, Andre’s response was, “Yep!” The bake sale raised $200, which Andre presented to the Cancer Center on Nov. 9.

The successful bake sale inspired Andre and the family to hold a second event in April—a car wash that raised $550, and earned Andre his designation as a fundraising “Super Hero” and a cape with the words Together We’re Stronger Than Cancer.

Jane Duer, Cancer Center Business Office Su-pervisor, said, “Andre is truly remarkable, very

serious and mature for his age. He did the fundraisers because he’d seen stories and read about people with cancer and wanted to help.” She added, “We have a lot of young people on the Eastern Shore who actively support the Cancer Center.

The young Super Hero plans to do more fund-raising though he’s not sure just what yet. And he has a few words to inspire old and young alike to give. “Other people can help the world, too,” he said. Yes, we can, Andre. Yes, we can!

Gifting Story

“Andre is truly remarkable, very

serious and mature for his age.”

“SUPER HERO” ANDRE BAINES FINDS A WAY TO “HELP CURE CANCER”

Andre Baines presenting a check to Pamela-Dix-Parker Development Associate (left) and Jane Duer, Cancer Center Business Office Supervisor.

608 Denbigh Blvd., Suite 700Newport News, VA 23608

A GARDEN GROWS ON THE EASTERN SHORE

Soroptimists Donate Funds for Sue Chesser Garden at Shore Memorial.The Soroptimist Club of Accomack County has proved again that folks on Virginia’s Eastern Shore are unfailingly generous when it comes to taking care of each other and the community they love. This fall, a memorial garden made possible by a generous gift from the Club given in honor of former Club member Sue Chesser, will be dedicated at the

new Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital.

The garden will serve as a place of respite for hospital patients and their families, and a fitting memorial to a woman who spent 23 years as chair of the Club’s Rachel B. Hall Memorial Crepe Myrtle Project. In 1986, Ms. Hall proposed the Club undertake

a project to plant Crepe Myrtle bushes along the highway from Kiptopeke to the Maryland state line. Mrs. Hall passed away a year later, and Sue Chesser took charge of the project.

Under her leadership, the Club planted more than 4,500 Crepe Myrtles.

When Ms. Chesser passed away in 2014, the Soroptimists sought a way to honor her achievements. “The Eastern Shore is more beautiful today because of the Crepe Myrtle Project and what Sue Chesser did,” said Margaret Miles, who was co-chair of the project for many years. “The garden at the hospital will be a wonderful tribute to a woman who did so much for our community.”

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Your generosity makes a difference.

Gifting Story

A memorial garden to be completed at Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital, shown above, this fall. It is made possible by a gift from the Soroptimist Club of Accomack County.