When I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 29, the majority of my care was centered in Little Rock. I needed specialized care from a gynecological oncologist and only two places in the state had that specialty, Little Rock and Northwest Arkansas.
Both clinics were over two hours away from where my parents lived and they were my main caregivers. I chose a practice in Little Rock, but either way it would mean long drives and sacrifice for our family.
I was fortunate my parents could make that kind of a drive to support me, but too many men and women in western Arkansas don’t. If my life was even slightly different, access to lifesaving care would have been out of reach for me the same way it is for so many in Western Arkansas. That’s why Mercy Fort Smith’s planned cancer center isn’t just a facility, it’s a game changer…