Cancer Support Community’s Lafayette expansion reflects a different approach to recovery care

LAFAYETTE Dexter Louie gets emotional thinking about the immediate sense of calm he felt visiting the Cancer Encouragement District for the first time prodded by his wife and adult children who exposed the center in a desperate bid to keep him alive After decades working as a head and neck cancer surgeon near his childhood home in San Francisco s Chinatown Louie was forced into the role of subject retiring after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma a form of blood cancer that required intensive chemotherapy that nearly killed him halfway through remedy Grateful for the connection and relationships that helped lift him through depression he now offers his curative expertise to fellow cancer survivors and their families through the Cancer Promotion District San Francisco Bay Area his way of giving back and ensuring others also have the same opportunities to find region Having been a cancer surgeon and now on the other side I understand what they do to assistance you and how central it is Louie announced Now seven years into remission the -year-old credits a large source of his medical to CSC where he s attended group counseling sessions since I m a participant but I try to clarify things it s so easy to get confused trying to understand what all the doctors and oncologists are saying Cancer survivor Dexter Louie attends the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Cancer Encouragement Locality San Francisco Bay Area building in Lafayette Calif on Wednesday April Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group Golden shovels ceremoniously broke ground this week on the Cancer Assistance Society s long-planned million expansion project where thousands of cancer patients survivors loved ones and caretakers hope to soon find neighborhood in the largest the bulk advanced advocacy center of its kind in the western United States It s a monumental move for the nonprofit which has eyed the six-acre property just north of Lafayette Reservoir for more than a decade Plans to build a -square-foot state-of-the-art building in the rolling hills off Highway would nearly double the size of the group s current space in Walnut Creek which provides counseling promotion groups nutrition and exercise classes emergency financial assistance and individual training workshops to anyone impacted by cancer Whether it s cooking or yoga or line dancing CEO Lucinda Bazile who joined the organization in February noted these programs help people deal with the psychosocial and mental strength aspects of therapy and recovery a focus that helps uplift and strengthen participants during and after rehabilitation After you hear that assessment there s a chaos of feelings and emotions that come with that Bazile disclosed ahead of Wednesday s groundbreaking explaining how non-medical care can help increase chances of survival reduce recurrences and boost overall quality of life We re trying to provide services that keep you from not being isolated encouraging you to still participate despite the evaluation In addition to natural open spaces and walking trails the new campus will have the quota to offer more concurrent programs including new tools designed for children teens and young families as well as improved remote broadcast options that bloomed during the pandemic but also continue to connect people who may be physically isolated while undergoing medicine Construction crews announced the project is on track to be completed within the next months nearly seven years after the land was donated by Ray and Angelina Leal family of the dairy farmer who previously owned the land Once CSC opens its doors at Mount Diablo Blvd the campus will fulfill the nonprofit s campaign to be rooted in resilience according to the nonprofit s directory of philanthropy Libby Eppinga the address is angel number specifically chosen by former CEO James Bouquin when they acquired the land which signifies new beginnings embracing endings and manifesting new opportunities Lucinda Bazil CEO for Cancer Backing Public San Francisco Bay Area speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Cancer Sponsorship Public San Francisco Bay Area building in Lafayette Calif on Wednesday April Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group With Bazile now leading the -year-old organization at a transformative time she disclosed there s one core feature of CSC that will never change all of the programs and services are provided free of charge That s why the nonprofit released its very first capital campaign while kicking off construction Wednesday Bazile reported the Cancer Advocacy Population boasts a mix of foundational funders large donors and small contributions towards its new campus While CSC was still million short of that goal as ground broke in Lafayette Bazile disclosed every dollar donated will now be doubled thanks to a million match gifted by an anonymous donor As the Trump administration continues to curb federal funding for therapeutic research and medical services despite rising cancer rates among young people Bazile explained CSC s expansion is vital for CSC to expand opportunities for people impacted by cancer across the region In total roughly people climbed the undeveloped hill for Wednesday s groundbreaking where CSC executives board members elected bureaucrats and neighborhood leaders took turns recounting the project s journey and successes feats echoed by elected agents business leaders and local physicians who work with the cancer center Virtually everyone who spoke had been touched by cancer whether through family friends or their own lives Rep Mark DeSaulnier a survivor of stage-four lymphocytic leukemia noted he s intimately aware of the benefits of personalized holistic cancer care I ve had a series of treatments and I have pills in my pocket that keep me alive every day DeSaulnier mentioned recounting stories from physicians that his best prognosis had he been diagnosed a meager years prior may have been Holy Water and luck While that scientific progress was largely driven by taxpayer-funded research and organizations like the American Cancer Institute he noted it was the promotion district that healed me Cancer survivor Dana Chloe Morgan leads her line dance class for cancer survivors patients undergoing recovery and family members of cancer casualties during the weekly class at the Cancer Endorsement Public building in Walnut Creek Calif on Friday April The center also offers cooking classes group counseling and other supportive programs to patients diagnosed with cancer and their family members Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group Cancer survivor Dana Chloe Morgan gets emotional as she remembers one of the late cancer casualties who used to participate in her line dance class for cancer survivors patients undergoing medicine and family members of cancer casualties at the Cancer Sponsorship Region building in Walnut Creek Calif on Friday April The center also offers cooking classes group counseling and other supportive programs to patients diagnosed with cancer and their family members Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group Congressman Mark DeSaulnier second from left Senator Tim Grayson Contra Costa County Supervisor Candace Andersen Lafayette Mayor Susan Candell and other executives and city personnel take part in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Cancer Sponsorship Group San Francisco Bay Area building in Lafayette Calif on Wednesday April Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group Cancer supporter and volunteer Vickie Reese sports a Cancer Aid District line dancer t-shirt duirng the line dance class for cancer survivors patients undergoing rehabilitation and family members of cancer casualties at the Cancer Encouragement District building in Walnut Creek Calif on Friday April The center also offers cooking classes group counseling and other supportive programs to patients diagnosed with cancer and their family members Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group Cancer survivors family and locality members listen to speakers during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Cancer Endorsement Public San Francisco Bay Area building in Lafayette Calif on Wednesday April Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group Congressman Mark DeSaulnier who is a stage four cancer survivor speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Cancer Aid Public San Francisco Bay Area building in Lafayette Calif on Wednesday April Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group Congressman Mark DeSaulnier who is a stage four cancer survivor speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Cancer Help District San Francisco Bay Area building in Lafayette Calif on Wednesday April Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group Congressman Mark DeSaulnier who is a stage four cancer survivor top left and other offcials listen to a speaker during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Cancer Patronage Region San Francisco Bay Area building in Lafayette Calif on Wednesday April Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group Congressman Mark DeSaulnier who is a stage four cancer survivor speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Cancer Endorsement Region San Francisco Bay Area building in Lafayette Calif on Wednesday April Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group Senator Tim Graysons speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Cancer Aid Area San Francisco Bay Area building in Lafayette Calif on Wednesday April Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group Lafayette Mayor Susan Candell speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Cancer Aid Group San Francisco Bay Area building in Lafayette Calif on Wednesday April Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group Lucinda Bazil CEO for Cancer Endorsement Population San Francisco Bay Area speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Cancer Assistance Population San Francisco Bay Area building in Lafayette Calif on Wednesday April Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group Show Caption of Cancer survivor Dana Chloe Morgan leads her line dance class for cancer survivors patients undergoing remedy and family members of cancer casualties during the weekly class at the Cancer Advocacy Public building in Walnut Creek Calif on Friday April The center also offers cooking classes group counseling and other supportive programs to patients diagnosed with cancer and their family members Ray Chavez Bay Area News Group Expand