The Juanita Pharr Cancer Support group was restarted in February this year with the support of the First United Methodist Church, Kiwanis heard at their March 25 meeting. The church provides a meeting place and helps in other ways.
The Juanita Pharr Cancer Support group first started in 1994 by Juanita Pharr when she was diagnosed with cancer. She realized that people needed support from other cancer patients as well as family and friends. This group seemed to give Mrs. Pharr a new attitude and direction. When she passed her husband took over the group and it became a lifeline for him as well.
The cancer support group is open to cancer patients, family members, friends and people who just want to help. So far they have averaged about 20 people per meeting, not always the same people. The meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday every month at the First United Methodist Church at 5 PM in the Fellowship Hall. They meet and fellowship, share ideas, share burdens and feel less alone. Due to donations they are able to help local people with expenses from treatments-travel and overnight stays.
The Dugfest Celebrity Waiter event will be donating some of the proceeds from this event to the cancer support group. Lindley Howell spoke to the group as a representative of the Winn Parish Medical Center. She said she attended the original support group from a very young age with her grandparents, the Pharrs. The American Cancer Society Relay for Life left our community because our population became too low.
The hospital is working on some events to bring some form of Relay for Life back to our community. Plans are in the works for a Cancer Walk in the fall and maybe some other events. The good news about this is that any money raised will be able to stay in our community unlike Relay for Life.
At the end of the meeting Rhonda Pharr said that her dream is to someday have a Memorial Garden that people can come to to reflect, to find peace and just to enjoy nature.
Any person can contact this group or the First United Methodist Church to get help for expenses dealing with cancer treatment.