The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Cancer patients enjoy home away from home
The Lydia Project gives them a place to stay during treatment.
AUGUSTA — It’s about an hour-and-a-half drive from Wrightsville to Augusta Oncology. For over a decade, Marie Moye made that drive from her hometown to the treatment center for chemotherapy and radiation treatments after being diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2008.
That changed in 2020 when a nurse at Augusta Oncology referred her to The Lydia Project. Moye was already familiar with the nonprofit organization after receiving a signature tote bag of support items shortly after her initial diagnosis. Although The Lydia Project has been distributing its totes to encourage cancer patients for many years, Moye has learned they do much more.
For six weeks, Moye was able to reside in The Lydia Project house on Interstate Parkway in Augusta, just a short drive to her treatments. The house can hold up to 10 patients and their caregivers, and meals are included in their stay, all at no cost.
“I don’t know where I’d be without The Lydia Project,” Moye said. “It changed my whole life. … I knew I couldn’t go through it without somewhere to stay.”
Moye is one of hundreds of cancer patients who have called The Lydia Project their home, and they are not all from Georgia. Guests include cancer patients from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida,
North Carolina and South Carolina who chose to receive medical care and treatments from one of Augusta’s many oncology specialists.
When Sandra Hall of Ridgeway, South Carolina, was diagnosed with mild dysplasia in May, her doctor said she would need to see an oncologist. She and her daughter, Lindsay Ambush, began researching potential doctors and found that “the cream of the crop” were in Augusta, she said.
After seeing a doctor at the Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University, she learned she would need a bone marrow transplant. Because of the hour-and-ahalf drive, the doctor referred her to The Lydia Project. Ambush and Hall reported to the house on Aug. 23 to get a feel for how life at the home would be before reporting for surgery two days later.
The pair stayed at the hospital until Oct. 1 and are still residing at The Lydia Project house while she continues treatment in Augusta. Ambush is able to work remotely in the house’s library while Hall rests in her room and recuperates between appointments.
“(The Lydia Project) has taken our minds off of some of the troubles and allowed me to improve my strength and work on me,” Hall said.
“It just feels like I’ve been able to concentrate on my health and my needs.”
“It’s a load off, because as a caregiver you’re thinking about how to support and how to be there but also the expenses of driving and food,” Ambush said.
Although The Lydia Project house is limited, executive director Michele Canchola said it partners with local hotels and an Airbnb. Last year, a family used the Airbnb home to celebrate Christmas while their child received treatments in the area. The homeowner even purchased a Christmas tree to make the holiday brighter.
Housing and transportation are the two major programs The Lydia Project offers, but Canchola said they also help with paying rent, utility, prescription and medical supply expenses. All services, including housing and transportation, must be referred by a physician’s office.
As of Nov. 2, the nonprofit has served 2,502 men, women and children who have cancer this year alone. Individuals can also call the office for prayer and monthly visits during their cancer journey. Moye said the prayer and visits once she returned home were crucial, especially in low moments when she felt hopeless.
“They always have something to offer to help you,” she said.
With all of its services, the organization’s seven paid staff members rely heavily on volunteers with approximately 600 serving in various roles. That keeps costs low and allows The Lydia Project to operate on a $440,000 budget.
Fundraising opportunities have taken a hit during the pandemic. The financial challenge, Canchola said, comes with naysayers.
“You have to look beyond that and see the 81-year-old woman who needs help with her power bill,” she said. “This is (God’s) ministry and I see it every day.”
One fundraiser The Lydia Project is continuing is its 16th annual Lights for Lydia. For $10, those who donate receive 10 luminarias to place at home or at local businesses in December. More details can be found on The Lydia Project website, thelydiaproject.org.
WANTED: KINDNESS
Was someone kind to you this year? As we head into the holiday season, we’d like to hear kind acts that you experienced this year. What did this mean to you? Or did you commit to being kinder in this challenging year, and if so, what did you do? What kind of response did you receive? We’ll be sharing some of these stories as we head into the season of giving. If this speaks to you, send us an email. Include your name, which we will use, your city, and contact info to Ajc-inspireatlanta@ajc.com.