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Ernestine Dalton of Wytheville is among the local certified volunteer drivers in the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery Program. Photo by Jeffrey Simmons

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Driving on the road to recovery

By WAYNE QUESENBERRY/Staff

While cancer takes its toll in many obvious ways, it also creates various other problems for patients and their families. One of these is often transportation to and from treatment centers for an extended time.
This is where the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery program provides a much needed service. At no cost to the patient, Road to Recovery offers certified volunteer drivers to take cancer patients for treatment and doctor’s visits.
LaDonna Kernodle of Wytheville is among those benefiting from the Road to Recovery. She relies on the volunteer drivers to take her to and from Pulaski where she receives radiation treatments Monday through Friday.
“Oh, I think the program is wonderful,” Kernodle said. “It’s fantastic. I don’t know what I’d done without them.”
Although Kernodle can drive, she is weakened by the radiation and is often sick after the treatments. Her only son works full time and is unable to take time off from his job.
Wilma Snyder organized the local Road to Recovery program in 1995 and continues as coordinator and trainer. A cancer survivor, she knows first hand about the need patients have for transportation.
“I have no close family here,” Snyder noted. “Our daughters live away. I had to go to Winston-Salem for my treatments then because there were no treatment centers here at the time. It would have meant Bill would have had to take a day or two off a week from his job to take me. Most employers frown on that. I was blest that people in my church and my friends in the community took me for treatments for a whole year.”
The Snyders came to Wytheville when Dr. William F. Snyder became president of Wytheville Community College. Both are now retired.
According to her, there are various reasons for the transportation service. Some patients are advised by their doctors not to drive since their treatments are in other cities or towns – notably Pulaski where radiation it administered. Many of the patients are elderly and so are their friends. Spouses or children may not be able to take time off from work.
“At a time when you are at your lowest point physically and emotionally,” Snyder commented, “you must contend with arranging daily rides to treatment. A similar scenario might play out for any one of us.”
Now Snyder arranges the transportation. As coordinator, she receives requests for services and arranges rides from an approved list of volunteers.
Requests come from patients, families, cancer treatment centers, doctors, senior service agencies and others. The coordinator keeps records of services rendered and reports them to the American Cancer Society.
Snyder has 20 drivers in the program with some new ones set for certification this Tuesday, Aug. 19, from 1 to 3 p.m. in Wesley Hall at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Wytheville.
“Volunteer drivers are certified by the American Cancer Society,” Snyder said. “Their training includes driving safety guidelines, tips for dealing with health problems, confidentiality issues and the organization of the program.”
Driving history of the volunteers, having a valid driver’s license and documenting insurance coverage are screened at the time of the training. Certificates are awarded by the American Cancer Society, which also provides additional liability insurance to certified drivers.
Ernestine Dalton of Wytheville has been a certified driver for about five years. She is retired from Wythe County Public Schools.
“I had a friend who had cancer and I wanted to do something to help,” Dalton stated earlier this week. “I was taking a class at St. Paul United Methodist Church and Wilma talked about the Road to Recovery, so I decided to take the training.”
According to her, she has provided rides for six different patients on multiple trips. The furthest Dalton has taken a patient is Pulaski, the nearest center providing radiation.
“I took one lady to her last chemo treatment at the cancer center here,” she commented. “I saw her all the way through. I think Road to Recovery is wonderful. It provides such a service.”
Increased gasoline prices, Dalton said, have not posed a problem for her. She noted many of her transports are within the town of Wytheville.
John DiYorio, a retiree from Wytheville Community College, has been driving in the program for five years. He became involved because of his spirit of community service.
“I was thinking about some way I could help,” DiYorio said. “I thought, ‘well, I can drive a car.’ It was a good way to provide service to the community.”
He has driven eight to 10 different patients on multiple trips for treatment. DiYorio recently drove Kernodle to Pulaski for treatment.
“We really get to know the drivers,” Kernodle said. “He and I talked all the way down and all the way back.”
Dalton added, “I encourage anyone capable of driving and with a little bit of time to spare to get involved in the program.”
Anyone interested in Road to Recovery may call Snyder at 228-3549.
Wayne Quesenberry can be reached at 228-6611 or .