‘One Hand Touches the Other’
By Ralphine Major
ralphine3@yahoo.com
“One hand touches the other” — It was something her grandmother always said, but she did not understand what it meant back then. Now she does. Donna Smith, who works for the Tennova Breast Center, thinks of her grandmother’s quote often as the Center ministers to patients in ways aside from treatment. Donna spoke passionately about the Tennova Breast Center’s Compassion in Action program and the many ways it helps those going through difficult days.
The Center is gearing up for its 2nd annual drive to raise much needed money to assist cancer patients with financial hardships that arise during treatment. The funds are often used to help pay patients’ travel expenses to and from treatments and have even been used to help with utility bills. Compassion in Action needs our help, and their project is timed perfectly for spring wardrobe cleaning! Through April 15, they are collecting new and gently used pocketbooks, purses, totes, wallets, and luggage for their sale on April 19 at Tennova’s 900 E. Oak Hill Avenue location. The items are priced no higher than $20. As Focus readers sort through purses and totes, remember to bag them up for the Tennova Breast Center. Readers may learn more about this worthwhile program by calling Jillian at (865)637-0095.
Donna and her team, which includes President Jeannie Mingie and Lake McCoy among others, sincerely thank you for your help and a cancer patient who benefits from your donation will certainly appreciate your kindness. But those of us who donate a purse or bag will reap the greatest benefit of all—knowing that we have helped to make a difference in someone’s life.
Donna’s grandmother would be so proud to know that Tennova Breast Center’s Compassion in Action is practicing her words: “one hand touches the other.”
“And that’s what makes it so wonderful,” Donna adds. Those are words we all can understand.
