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Myeloma patient Delayne Campbell reviews her schedule with MVP volunteer Luana Bracy.
Image by Evan Lewis
Volunteers Earn MVP Honors from Myeloma Patients
| Myeloma patients are not alone as they go through their first day of appointments at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).
A group of dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers known as Most Vital Pals (MVPs) help guide new patients around UAMS’ campus.
The MVP program is part of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Volunteer Services and Auxiliary.
“This program started more than 15 years ago,” said Susan Jones, assistant director of volunteer services for the Cancer Institute. “The Myeloma Center sends me the number of new patients we’ll have for the following week. I send that to the volunteers, and they respond with their availability.”
An MVP volunteer reviews the schedule with the patient. While locations such as blood draw, bone marrow and MRI are in the Cancer Institute, patients may also need to visit other areas of UAMS such as the pharmacy or the positron emission topography (PET) scan.
Laura Doramus, who has been an MVP since 2012, learned about the program from a friend who had been a volunteer.
“I thought I would like it, and I do, I enjoy it very much,” she said. “We’re with the patients during their initial appointments, and we also give them information on where to go for subsequent appointments later in the week.”
Drexel Jordan has a long-standing connection with the Myeloma Center.
“I worked here at the beginning of the myeloma program as one of the initial nurses trained to do transplants,” said Jordan, who retired from UAMS in 2016. “Being a volunteer is about giving back.”
Patients and their families are appreciative of the MVPs.
“Our volunteer not only helped us navigate the first day but also showed us the best places to park when we had to come back,” said Liz Seab of Billings, Montana, whose husband Chris is a myeloma patient. “Having someone who knew the campus took one thing off our minds and lessened some of the stress,” she said.
Our Most Vital Pals
Robert Anderson
Luana Bracy
Becky Davis
Don Davis
Laura Doramus
Drexel Jordan
Janie Lowe
Martha Murphy