Today we’d like to introduce you to Mirchelle Louis.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’m originally from South Africa, and received my bachelor’s degree at the University of Cape Town. When life brought me to the U.S. and to Texas in the 2000s, I followed my passion for social work and earned a Master of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington.
My first connection with the power of cancer support was through Gilda’s Club North Texas in 2006, when I joined the organization as Program Director. Gilda’s Club later became Cancer Support Community North Texas (our name now). In between my original time working at Gilda’s Club, I went on to become Executive Director of Susan G. Komen for the Cure North Texas for a short while and also went into private practice for a few years.
Through all of this, I saw the need for thoughtful, structured psychological and emotional/social support for the growing number of cancer patients and their caregivers, which is what led me back to Cancer Support Community North Texas in 2009, and I’m proud to have led the organization ever since.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Cancer support is such a vital element of the cancer journey, but it’s also the least talked about one – or at least was. We’re making progress! The focus has always been on the medical treatment for those facing a cancer diagnosis, which is critical, of course.
Research has found, however, that equally important is the emotional and psychological care and support a person receives throughout their journey…and not just the person diagnosed, but their close family and friends as well. This is a struggle for us, as it’s much harder to “prescribe” emotional and psychosocial support; thankfully, we’ve made enormous headway here and are working closer with oncologists and others than ever to ensure people get the support they need.
Growth is also a challenge – we always want to serve more people! The catch is that our services are free to all, meaning raising funds to support new Clubhouses and increase access to care takes time.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Cancer Support Community North Texas story. Tell us more about the business.
Cancer Support Community North Texas – and Cancer Support Community, in general – is the only non-profit organization dedicated solely to providing free psychosocial and emotional support to both patients and their caregivers. This means providing everything from support groups to education to nutritional classes and exercise classes that are safe and beneficial for cancer patients to Noogieland, a program for kids of cancer patients to go to have fun and get to know other children dealing with the same fears and situations.
We have three Clubhouses (Dallas, Tarrant and Collin Counties) and hope to grow that. What truly sets us apart is that we work with the individual; we call every person who comes through our door and chooses to join CSCNT, a member, because we recognize their situation is unique, their needs are unique.
I’ve worked with many women, men and children living with cancer and I’ve seen just how devastating a cancer diagnosis can be – it forever changes someone’s life. The diagnosis also impacts their children, families, friends, co-workers – their whole extended community. I have also seen how lives can be transformed when we can provide psycho-social and emotional support. I’m incredibly proud of the lives we’ve impacted.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I consider myself a very lucky person – mostly it’s just trusting that the universe has good things in store for me, so taking a leap of faith is easy. That’s what brought me to the U.S. and Dallas, and that’s what brought me to the CSCNT organization 11 years ago. And then of course there’s the saying “the harder I work, the luckier I get,” and I believe there’s a lot of truth to that!
Contact Info:
- Address: Dallas Clubhouse
THR – Cancer Center
8196 Walnut Hill Lane, LL10
Dallas, Texas 75231 - Website: www.cancersupporttexas.org
- Phone: 214-345-8230
- Email: nhuff@cancersupporttexas.org
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/CSCNT
Image Credit:
Cancer Support Community North Texas
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