The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society – North Florida Region, with funding from Bert Smith Subaru, donated 80 blankets to our oncology patients. This is part of the Subaru Loves to Care Campaign which supports blood cancer patients and their families.
One of the oncology patients who received a blanket was Linda Smock, who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2015. Regarding the care she has received with BayCare, Linda said, “I have always been treated super well….I was really sick at that point and I felt very cared for.”
Linda was a Principal of Gulf Coast Christian Schools and continues to be an educator to this day. She uses writing as her outlet with her cancer journey. One of her pieces, “Living with Lucy”, has even been published on Blood-Cancer.com. She says, “If [a person] can find a way to creatively deal with [cancer], I think it is very helpful mentally.”
Linda’s main piece of advice for someone diagnosed with cancer is, “Acceptance takes time. Be patient with yourself.”
We are thankful to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and Bert Smith Subaru for their generous donation and to Linda for sharing her story. To see a recap of the donation and Linda’s testimonial, click here.