If you’ve seen Susan Beck volunteering at our main campus in Huntsville, it’s likely her granddaughter Brenna wasn’t too far behind.
The two have walked through the front doors of Clearview Cancer Institute countless times for more than a decade as either a patient or a caregiver.
When we spoke to the pair earlier this month, they said they knew they wanted to come back to Clearview’s campus, but in a different way.
“It’s just never been a sad place. It’s always been a place of hope and healing and just family, after these years, it’s family,” Beck said.
Susan and Brenna now volunteer at Clearview one day a week, together.
“When we talked about volunteering down here, I actually made an inquiry if we could volunteer together. The coordinator said we’re going to make that work. As soon as the volunteers were able to go back to the patients, she said, you know, bring your Brenna, and my Brenna and I have been together ever since,” Beck said.
Susan explained that in their immediate family they’ve had four people diagnosed with cancer. Brenna added, “My mom, my grandpa, my aunt, and myself, we have a rare genetic disorder that predisposes us to getting cancer.”
Susan said they’ve been to major cancer centers, but there was nothing like the feeling of being back at home.
“You know, it was bad to have the genetic disorder but because of that it afforded the opportunity to go to these large cancer research centers, and it was great, it was a great opportunity, but there is nothing like coming home and the doctors are going to work with us. Whatever the outcome we know that we are not doing it by ourselves. It’s a place of comfort, and I just know everything that’s been done for us. I would like to pay it forward,” Beck said.
To learn more about volunteering at Clearview Cancer Institute, visit our website HERE.
To watch our interview with Susan and Brenna, click HERE.