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Dee Van Horn and Bruce Fredrick wear their hearts on their sleeves. Fortunately, for the residents of our region, they decided to retire here and share these hearts full of ideas and enthusiasm to help local residents. This talented couple spends a considerable amount of time and energy working to improve the quality of life for everyone who lives and works in our region. Both are cancer survivors and are committed to ensuring that Mecosta County Medical Center delivers on its promise to "provide advance care with a personal touch."
"As a breast cancer survivor, you become concerned that nothing happens again," said Dee. "I had no warning on the first catch. My diagnosis was made with traditional mammography. During the assessment of my condition, I experienced digital mammography and found it to be less uncomfortable and that it produced a clearer picture."
"When I finished my treatment, I knew that I wouldn't go back to x-ray mammography. As I talked with more breast cancer survivors, I learned that they shared my opinion and were leaving the community for post treatment digital mammography. It made no sense to me to travel to access the technology that could be available locally. Why should anyone have to leave the community to have this screening and what about women who do not have the means to travel to digital mammography screening facilities?" questioned Dee.
"When you are diagnosed with cancer, you do what needs to be done. Both of our families have a history of cancer. I share Dee's concern for women who find the cost and travel distance prohibitive to having digital mammography. We were lucky in that we had the resources to do what needed to be done when we faced the need for treatment and post treatment care. It's important that we offer this screening at the Medical Center so that it is available to everyone who could benefit from this technology," commented Bruce.
Dee summed up their thoughts about the disease, "You don't get to own it, your family and friends share it with you." Bruce added, "When it is someone important to you, it is difficult to talk about it. Having confidence in your caregivers - your radiologist, your surgeon and your oncologist - is critical to helping you buy into the treatment."
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