LAKEPORT ? As an aspiring entertainer, Lakeport seventh-grader Faith Hornby felt compelled to share the gift of entertainment with cancer patients she met in a support group last year.
She raised approximately $700 in almost a year”s time to buy portable DVD players for cancer patients. She included 10 DVDs and six CDs in her purchase, which she presented to Dr. Mark Turrill on Monday. The equipment will be available to Turrill”s patients during sometimes lengthy chemotherapy sessions beginning next week.
“They were talking about how it was not very fun while the chemo treatments were being done, so I thought of a way to raise money and do something about it,” Hornby said.
Hornby used products from her mother”s shop, Skin Fitness, in a raffle she organized to raise the money. Hornby said she decided to go with her mother to a speaking engagement at the Women”s Cancer Support Group, led by Lin Pifer, and the rest is history.
“When I heard the women”s stories and how they went through all this cancer, I felt like I wanted to do something to help,” Hornby said.
Patients diagnosed with cancer come to Turrill”s office to receive chemotherapy treatments that can range between half an hour and days at a time in length, according to Turrill, Lake County”s only full-time physician specializing in cancer and blood disorders.
Patients can read, talk or sleep during chemotherapy, but Turrill said Hornby”s gift provides more opportunity for healthy distraction. Office Manager Mary Rodriguez said the players came with headsets so two patients can watch the same movie at a time.
“It helps when you are sitting for hours to have some kind of distraction. Just sitting and receiving treatment can be boring, or it makes you focus on the disease. This takes people”s minds off of the fact that they are being treated for illness. It”s very helpful,” Turrill said.
Turrill gets patients from all around Lake County and surrounding areas, and said he had been too busy caring for his patients to think of the DVDs himself.
“I want to thank her for her willingness to reach out and do something like this. She sees a need and then goes and fills in the gap, so to say, and just does it,” Turrill said.
Hornby was named Humanitarian of the Year at the annual Stars of Lake County gala in March for her philanthropic efforts, which included volunteering for Operation Tango Mike.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com, or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
