Community Magazine July 2021

24 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE It’s a random Tuesday, and a lump appears where it shouldn’t be. A bruise, or two. A headache that just won’t disappear. With Hashem’s help that day will never come, and we will never hear the word “cancer” spoken again out loud. But if it does, Gd forbid, know that help is just a phone call away. Nancy Sutton, founder and president of the Morris I. Franco Cancer and Medical Referral Center, has been guiding community members through the medical maze for almost thirty years, providing endless support, hope, and understanding. For so long she has been giving referrals and help to patients to choose the right doctors, hospitals, and treatments. Eleven years ago, she followed that work up with the founding of the Cancer Center, a place that envelops every patient with whatever they might need, before they even know they need it. Compassionate and nurturing, Nancy and her team’s experience is vast and unmatched. Their data bank is up to date and fresh, with names and often cell phone numbers of thousands of doctors. Their relationships with both hospitals and medical professionals garnered over years of travel and attention help provide a clear path to success for a patient who is probably at the most vulnerable point of their lives. Renee Zarif, a recipient of that care, explains. “From the point a patient gets diagnosed until the point they find an oncologist, the fear that overtakes is incomprehensible. I was just 30 years old when I was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, married nine years. You can just imagine what was going through our minds. There are many medical referral organizations and individuals… but when we got to Nancy, everything changed. The knowledge she has, the doctors on speed-dial, and the personal way in which she shared her thoughts…she was certain, when we were so uncertain. She actually found a way to put us at ease.” A HAND TO HOLD Nancy not only guided the Zarifs, but also sat right by their side at the first appointment. Renee continues, “We were so serious and nervous, and she was just calm. When we walked in, she said, ‘Let’s get oatmeal and coffee,’ like it was a breakfast date. I was a wreck, and she brought comfort, making everything more tolerable. We talked with the doctor, and once he said that I was going to lose my hair, I tuned out. I couldn’t even hear the rest of what he was saying. Nancy was there, thank Gd, to ask all the right questions; She is the expert, and that doctor was Hashem’s gift to me. “Nancy and her wonderful staff at the Cancer Center took care of everything, from transferring files from one hospital to another, to finding the right insurance, to getting a wig ready for me, and getting meals cooked for our family. Nancy’s mind is like a computer. She knows which doctor and which hospital is right for which patient. She’s ten steps ahead, and when you can’t think straight, that’s more valuable than you can ever know.” Ralph Tawil is another fighter. One who is just beginning his journey. On the second day of Passover, he told his wife Tami SOPHIA FRANCO MORRIS I. FRANCO CANCER CENTER & MEDICAL REFERRAL LEAVING NO STONE UNTURNED

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