Putting patients and their families first is the Texas Oncology way. That includes a long-standing holiday tradition at Texas Oncology–Fort Worth 12th Ave. For 15 years, the practice has partnered with Cancer Care Services to “adopt” one of their patient’s family for Christmas.
Texas Oncology employees Patti Felegy and Lorie Egan, known as the “Cancer Care Angels,” select a family and create a wish list before going to work to fulfill it. “We always try to take on a bigger family each year,” Patti said. “And everyone in the office gets involved.”
After collecting money from their colleagues, Patti and Lorie go Black Friday shopping to purchase meaningful gifts for the family they’ve adopted, typically shopping from 10:00 p.m. until 10:00 a.m. the following morning. They combine their personal reward points and coupons to stretch the funds and purchase every item on the family wish list.
“It’s a long night, but Lorie and I look forward to it every year,” Patti said. “We put a lot of thought into every gift we buy. We try to learn a lot about our families before we shop so we aren’t just checking off a list. Our mission is to bring joy to our adopted families during a very challenging season.”
Patti and Lorie always select a family being treated at the practice, so it’s more personal to our team.
“At Texas Oncology, we really are family,” Patti says. “We all spend so much time together that we form a strong bond, and it’s very meaningful to care for one of our own.”
Beyond the gifts purchased each year, the Angels share an encouraging poem with each family they adopt. The poem is signed by the “Cancer Care Angels” and is a reminder that despite the challenging circumstance, there is always hope.
“This project, and the poem, reflect what Texas Oncology represents,” Patti said. “We want to do our part to love these families to bring them joy. In return, it brings us great joy too.”
The Cancer Care Angels poem:
Our Prayer for You…
With the Christmas season upon us our prayer for you is for...
- Family – That you love and support each other today and every day.
- Sharing – Sharing the warmth of a hug, the admiration of a smile, and the innocence of a child.
- Laughter – That you let laughter enter your heart every day.
- Patience – The patience to look past the unmade beds and dirty dishes to take the time to enjoy and appreciate all that is around you.
- Love – That you feel the love that is being shared with you by others, that which is spoken as well as unspoken.
- Comfort – Comfort in knowing that you are loved and thought about not only by persons that you know, but by persons you have never met.
- Joy - That you experience the joy in being together as a family during this holiday season without a care in the world if only for this moment in time.
- Faith – Keeping the faith, that every day is a blessing and a reason for hope.
- Hope – Hope that today is the day for a cure!
Please know that these are all being wished for you and your family today, tomorrow and always.
Happy Holidays from your
“Cancer Care Angels”