With a warm smile and friendly greeting, Alan opens the car door for Linda, a cancer patient who relies on Lee’s Friends for transportation to and from her medical appointments. This spring, Linda received 29 rides from Lee’s Friends as she endured her cancer treatments. “They’re more than drivers,” Linda reflects. “When you go through what I’ve been through, make sure you have Lee’s Friends at your back.” A Lee’s Friends volunteer for 23 years, Alan drives cancer patients, like Linda, because it allows him to meet new people and connect with others. “It’s more than a conversation about cancer,” Alan shares. “We talk about life.” For Alan and Linda, Lee’s Friends is more than a car ride – it’s an opportunity to connect.
When Cheryl’s husband Jeffrey, an Army veteran, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2017, she turned to Lee’s Friends for help getting to and from his doctor’s appointments. “I found out about Lee’s Friends through a friend,” Cheryl shares. Lee’s Friends matched Jeffrey with Mella, a retired Norfolk Public School teacher, who volunteers as a driver. Mella drove Jeffrey to his appointments; Cheryl rode, too, so that she could aid in her husband’s care. Jeffrey and Cheryl were more than just passengers to Mella, they became friends. Over the years, Mella maintained the relationship that grew during those car rides eight years ago. So when Jeffrey’s cancer recently came back, Mella was there. “I owe all the credit to Ms. Mella,” Cheryl shares. “She checks in every week.” Jeffrey received additional surgery and is now in a rehabilitation facility. Mella often accompanies Cheryl when she visits Jeffrey, continuing to support her through her husband’s long road of recovery.