Dec 22, 2019 Compassionate Cancer Care

We vs. C event at RWJUH Hamilton

The 2019 "We vs. "C" event raised critical funds to provide patients with unique holistic services

At Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Hamilton, cancer patients not only receive expert medical care but also benefit from an array of programs that enhance well-being. The Holistic Program offers Reiki (a hands-on healing technique), pastoral care, meditation, massage, nutrition counseling and pet, art and music therapies. It also provides wigs and wig care. Stylists from Sleek Salon and Salon Pure cut, style and size the wigs for patients. A cellist comes to the Cancer Center monthly and a harpist comes almost daily to entertain patients who are receiving infusions.

There’s also an aesthetician who teaches patients how to care for their skin during treatment. “Cancer patients need spiritual enrichment and the human touch,” says Lisa Freeman, co-creator and chair of the “We vs. C” fundraising event and a Foundation board member. The Holistic Program, which is available free of charge, is funded entirely by the RWJUH Hamilton Foundation. (The services aren’t covered by insurance.) Over the past three years, the Foundation has held the “We vs. C” event to raise funds for the Cancer Center. The most recent event, which was held on September 20, 2019 at the Trenton Country Club, raised about $75,000 for the Holistic Program.

An unforgettable evening

The event, called “The Secret Garden,” brought to life some of the Holistic Program’s unique features. Guests wandered around five different rooms, each of which offered distinct “experiences”: a “sniff bar,” which allowed guests to sample aromatherapies, musical and dance performances, art demonstrations, and henna tattoos, which were provided by the Robbinsville BAPS and the Mosque of Greater Princeton. Guests received personalized Arabic calligraphy paintings.

“We created a live event out of what we do every day in the Cancer Center,” says Jessica Alleman, Foundation Manager. The event succeeded in raising awareness of cancer care at RWJUH Hamilton. “Every guest experienced something new that night,” says Freeman. Raising funds for the Holistic Program is crucial because, as Freeman points out, “the RWJUH Hamilton Cancer Center provides excellent care for the whole person. We have the latest technology and the most brilliant clinical minds. The level of compassion among our providers is unheard of.”

Learn more about the RWJUH Hamilton Foundation