VIDEO: Real Talk with Pacific Cancer Foundation Executive Director, Nancy Le Joy

Tara Dugan, digital sales director of MauiNow interviewed Nancy Le Joy, executive director of Pacific Cancer Foundation to learn how they have been affected during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pacific Cancer Foundation is a Maui-based nonprofit providing free support services for the Maui community.

“We have patient navigators, we have a care coordinator, nutritionists, licensed therapists, and a whole host of wellness classes all provided free for our cancer patients, survivors and their caregivers or supporters,” Le Joy said.

Le Joy stated that supporting cancer patients and the medical community at the hospital are currently their main priority. She said that the foundation is available to offer 24/7 support and are still working with patients daily.

“All our services are available virtually, now you talk to people live on the phone, you can email them or you can set up these great zoom and telemedicine options as well,” she added.

Le Joy reassured Maui’s cancer community that the foundation will continue to support the community through their cancer journey.

“Just having a cancer diagnosis alone, as you can imagine, is very frightening. There’s a lot of anxiety and fear that goes along just with that diagnosis, you put COVID-19 on top of that and that really heightens it for people. So we are really there to support people through their journey.”

Pacific Cancer Foundation has been able to continue services amid the pandemic by changing and moving most of its programming online.

“I think our staff has really gone the extra mile in trying to be really creative with coming up with some new programming…our admin team with being really tech-savvy for getting all this stuff set up so quickly and helping people access it.  It’s really been a team effort and they’ve done a really great job,” Le Joy said.

Pacific Cancer Foundation’s 12th annual Paddle for Life fundraising event is still scheduled for October this year. Le Joy asked Paddle for Life team captains to register their teams and more information will be provided.

“We are still in the planning stages for it, we certainly don’t know what’s going to happen come October but we are signing up our teams already and getting registered and working on that pre-planning stage.  So if there are people interested in participating with paddle, they can reach out to us – jump on our website.”

To learn more about Pacific Cancer Foundation services and their annual Paddle for Life event, watch the interview above or visit their website.