Hendersonville - The Pardee Hospital Foundation celebrated its 25th anniversary of the Women Helping Women program and announced the 2022 Women of Hope award recipients at its annual luncheon held October 28 at Blue Ridge Community College. It was the first time the event has been held in person since 2019 and featured Retired UNC Men’s Basketball Coach, Roy Williams as its keynote speaker. Williams spoke about his personal experiences with cancer, noting that at some point, cancer will touch us all. He implored the 440 attendees in the room to give generously to the Foundation in support of Women Helping Women and Pardee UNC Health Care.

The Foundation had a fundraising goal of $25,000 for this year’s Women Helping Women event, with added incentive from an anonymous donor who agreed to match up to $12,500 of that amount. As of Monday, Oct. 31, the Women Helping Women event has raised more than $175,000, with contributions continuing to pour in. Funds raised by Women Helping Women will help cover the costs of critical medical care and access to important screenings like mammograms for low-and-moderate-income women in the community who lack financial resources. 

Founders of Women Helping Women were recognized at the event for their dedication and initiative in creating such an impactful program to address breast cancer in Henderson County. In collaboration with the Foundation, the founders have created a book commemorating the 25th anniversary of Women Helping Women, now available for sale on the Foundation website for $25. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the sale of the book will go to Women Helping Women.

Every year, Women Helping Women and the Pardee Hospital Foundation honors women in the community who have experienced cancer or another serious health condition and are willing to share their stories of courage and determination. The 2022 honorees, Dawn Creasman, Ashley Hornsby Welch, and Roxana Dallies, were honored at Friday's event. “We are proud to honor and celebrate these three remarkable women,” said Pardee Hospital Foundation Executive Director, Amy Treece. “Each of these women showed courage through their cancer journey and are an encouragement to women facing difficult health diagnoses of their own.” Each recipient will have her portrait, along with her words of encouragement, displayed at the Elizabeth Reily Breast Center.

Dawn Creasman has been cancer free for six years but can still recall every detail of her breast cancer journey and describes it as a scary, but insightful time, “You learn what you’re made of and it changes your outlook on life.” She said she could not have asked for better care than what she received from Pardee. From the nurses, and occupational and physical therapists, to her physicians, she described the team as incredible, saying “we’re lucky to have this kind of quality care in our area.”

Ashley Hornsby Welch, a North Carolina District Attorney, understands the power of how women helping women can save lives as it was a colleague and friend who urged her to have a mammogram after recently being diagnosed with breast cancer herself. After meeting with the Pardee Cancer Center team, Ashley said she felt at peace, “I knew I was going to be okay.” She said didn’t even consider getting a second opinion because she felt so good about the care she would receive at Pardee, “The care and compassion are unbelievable, and they are concerned with you as a whole and not just your diagnosis.” Ashley is grateful to be on the road to recovery and says she feels the best she’s felt in a long time.

Roxanna Dallies is passionate about preventive healthcare and it was during a self-exam that she discovered a lump in her breast in August 2018. She set up an appointment with Pardee and after a mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy, she learned she had breast cancer. Roxanna said things moved very quickly and just a few days later she started a six-month chemotherapy treatment program followed by surgery. One year after her diagnosis she finished her treatment. Roxanna believes that part of the healing process from cancer is getting to be home and surrounded by the people you love, “I knew I was going to be in good hands here because we have a wonderful cancer center that is very specialized in breast cancer.”

Women Helping Women started in 1998 primarily to assist women who needed diagnostic services like a mammogram or treatment for breast cancer but could not afford it. The program and its parameters for assistance have expanded over the last 25 years and have raised over $3 million to support women battling cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis, among other diseases.

Pardee Hospital Foundation was approved as a non-profit Foundation in January 1996. Since its inception, the Foundation has generated over $30 million in pledges and cash gifts for Pardee services.

Source: Pardee Hospital Foundation

Photo caption: WHW Founders (L to R): Bonnie See, Debbie Rouse, Myra Grant, Marcia Caserio, Renee Kumor