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| Richard with photo of his wife Muriel |
Over the course of 30 years, Muriel Brooks faced and beat ovarian, liver and breast cancer several times. “She never complained once,” says Richard, her husband. “She was always smiling. She never said, ‘Why me?’ She just said, ‘I’ve done this before and I’ll do it again.’” At age 82, Muriel passed away from pancreatic cancer. How fearlessly Muriel tackled cancer, and how well and long she lived in spite of it, is testament to her courage and spirit and the excellent care she received at Providence and hospitals outside the state.
What could make things better for patients like Muriel? Assistance in navigating the maze of cancer care, says Richard. “At the time when you’re under the most stress, the time when you have the least knowledge, it’s up to you to figure out what to do. It’s very hard.”
At the new Providence Cancer Center, families like the Brooks will find specially trained staff, called navigators, to guide them on their journey through cancer and to assist them in financial matters and medical decision making. In a case like Muriel’s, genetic counseling for family members can be an important part of that process. Muriel tested positive for the BRCA2 gene, a mutation that carries with it as much as an 80 percent chance of breast cancer. Through genetic testing at the new Providence Cancer Center, her grandchildren can discover their genetic risk level, receive counseling and consider preventative options that Muriel herself never had.
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